Linewidths of proton nuclear magnetic resonance peaks obtained for jaw cysts and abscesses at 400 MHz

We compare the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) linewidths of semi-heavy water (HOD) proton peaks in 29 nonhemorrhagic jaw cysts, 8 hemorrhagic cysts, and 19 abscesses. We also investigate the dependence of linewidths on fluid content and radio frequency (RF) application angles. The mixtures used for comparisons were prepared by adding 0.05 mL of each cyst or abscess to 0.95 mL of D2O. A series of mixtures containing varying amounts of the sample was also prepared. NMR measurements of all mixtures at 400 MHz were acquired using only a 90 degrees RF pulse. The mean linewidths of the cystic groups were quite different (p = 0.004) from each other. However, there was a moderate difference between the mean linewidths of nonhemorrhagic cysts and abscesses (p = 0.048) and between those of hemorrhagic cysts and abscesses (p = 0.045). The linewidth increases linearly with increasing fluid content but decreases with increasing RF application angle. In conclusion, the data suggest that linewidth measurements can distinguish cysts from abscesses. The concentration dependence of the linewidth also suggests that the rapid chemical exchange of protons between free and bound HODs contributes to the broadening of the linewidth.