Myometrial invasion of endometrial carcinoma: assessment with dynamic MR and contrast-enhanced T1-weighted images.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the usefulness of dynamic magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in assessing the depth of myometrial invasion, compared with conventional T2-weighted and contrast-enhanced T1-weighted imaging.


METHODS
Forty patients with endometrial carcinoma were examined with T2-weighted images, dynamic studies and contrast-enhanced T1-weighted images, preoperatively. We evaluated enhancement patterns of myometrium and tumour, and compared MR findings with histological results concerning the depth of myometrial invasion.


RESULTS
In assessing the depth of myometrial invasion, the accuracy of T2-weighted images, dynamic studies and contrast-enhanced T1-weighted images was 58%, 85% and 68%, respectively. The tumour-myometrial contrast of dynamic studies was higher than that of other images. In addition, subendometrial enhancement (SEE) was frequently observed in dynamic studies in post-menopausal women, which was an important landmark in detecting myometrial invasion.


CONCLUSIONS
We consider that dynamic MR imaging has greater advantage in assessing myometrial invasion than T2-weighted or contrast-enhanced T1-weighted imaging.
Seki
H
H
Department of Radiology, Niigata University School of Medicine, Japan.
Kimura
M
M
Sakai
K
K
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003287:Contrast Media; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D004338:Drug Combinations; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005682:Gadolinium; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008536:Meglumine; D008593:Menopause; D008875:Middle Aged; D009215:Myometrium / Q000473:pathology*; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D004369:Pentetic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D003287:Contrast Media; D004338:Drug Combinations; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D008536:Meglumine; D004369:Pentetic Acid; D005682:Gadolinium; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA