Diffusion Imaging of the Head and Neck

Diffusion MR for brain imaging has been well-researched and used clinically for more than a decade, particularly for detection of acute ischemic stroke and evaluation of intracranial cystic lesions. In comparison, its application to the head and neck (H&N) has only attracted interest more recently, as a result of the development of techniques for reducing susceptibility artifacts which are substantially more frequent for the neck than for the brain. In this article we discuss recent advances in diffusion imaging technology and describe clinical applications in the H&N. After reading the article, readers should have a better understanding of the uses and challenges of diffusion imaging of the head and neck. © 2014, Springer Science+Business Media New York.