Test-retest repeatability of T1rho (T1ρ) MR imaging in the head and neck

•Quantitative T1rho imaging had a good test-retest repeatability for head and neck.•Repeatability of T1rho imaging varied among tissues in the head and neck.•Quantitative T1rho imaging has potential to characterise head and neck tumours. T1rho imaging is a new quantitative MRI sequence for head and neck cancer and the repeatability for this region is unknown. This study aimed to evaluate the repeatability of quantitative T1rho imaging in the head and neck. T1rho imaging of the head and neck was prospectively performed in 15 healthy participants on three occasions. Scan 1 and 2 were performed with a time interval of 30 minutes (intra-session) and scan 3 was performed 14 days later (inter-session). T1rho values for normal tissues (parotid glands, palatine tonsils, pterygoid muscles, and tongue) were obtained on each scan. Intra-class coefficients (ICCs), within-subject coefficient of variances (wCoVs), and repeatability coefficient (RCs) of the intra-session scan (scan 1 vs 2) and inter-session scan (scan 1 vs 3) for the normal tissues were calculated. The ICCs of T1rho values for normal tissues were almost perfect (0.83–0.97) for intra-session scans and were substantial (0.71–0.80) for inter-session scans. The wCoVs showed a small range (2.46%–3.30%) for intra-session scans, and slightly greater range (3.27%–6.51%) for inter-session scan. The greatest and lowest wCoVs of T1rho were found in the parotid gland and muscles, respectively. The T1rho RCs varied for all tissues between intra- and inter- sessions, and the greatest RC of 10.07 msec was observed for parotid gland on inter-session scan. T1rho imaging is a repeatable quantitative MRI sequence in the head and neck but variances of T1rho values among tissues should be take into account during analysis.