title: Magnetic resonance imaging of tumors of the upper aerodigestive tract.
abstract: Magnetic resonance imaging is rapidly becoming the study of choice for evaluating tumors of the larynx and pharynx. It is superior to computed tomography because of its multiplanar imaging capability and greater soft tissue contrast resolution. Other advantages are that it is a noninvasive procedure, gives three-dimensional images that are not degraded by bony or overshoot reconstruction artifacts, and is sensitive to flowing blood, thus obviating the use of x-ray techniques with IV contrast agents. MRI is particularly well suited to laryngeal and nasopharyngeal malignancies because the deep extent of these tumors is difficult to assess by clinical examination alone.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Radiology, UCLA Center for the Health Sciences.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Piollet
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Lufkin
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hanafee
mesh_terms: D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D012008:Recurrence; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed