Intravoxel incoherent motion MR imaging measurements of the bilateral parotid glands at 3.0-T MR: effect of age, gender and laterality in healthy adults.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of age, gender and laterality on the intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) MR imaging measurements of parotid glands in healthy participants at 3.0-T MRI. METHODS: A total of 108 healthy participants were prospectively recruited. IVIM MRI scan was performed using a 3.0-T MR scanner, and corresponding parameters (perfusion fraction, f; pseudodiffusion coefficient, D*; tissue diffusivity, D) were derived from biexponential fitting of IVIM data. Pearson correlation analysis was performed to determine the association between the IVIM MRI parameters and age. The parameter difference between male and female participants or between left and right parotid glands was compared using unpaired or paired t test, respectively. RESULTS: Excellent interreader and intrareader agreements on the measurements of IVIM MRI parameters were achieved. Both D and f values correlated inversely with the age in both left and right parotid glands (p < 0.05) while D* value did not (p > 0.05). Male participants had higher IVIM MRI parameters than the female participants in both left and right glands (p < 0.05). No significant differences were found in the IVIM MRI parameters between left and right glands in both male and female participants (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The IVIM MRI parameters are age and gender dependent, but not laterality dependent. Age- and gender-related effect should be taken into consideration in future IVIM MRI studies for parotid glands. ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE: (1) Both D and f values correlated inversely with the age in healthy parotid glands, while D* value did not. (2) The parotid glands of males showed higher IVIM MRI parameters than that of females. (3) There were no significant differences on the IVIM MRI parameters between the left and right glands. (4) Age- and gender-related effect should be taken into consideration in future IVIM MRI studies for parotid glands.