Comparing MR imaging and CT in the staging of gastric carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to assess the usefulness of breath-hold two-dimensional (2D) fast low-angle shot (FLASH) and T2-weighted turbo spin-echo fast MR imaging compared with helical CT in the staging of gastric carcinoma.


METHODS
Thirty patients with gastric carcinoma underwent preoperative MR imaging and helical CT. MR imaging at 1.5 T was performed immediately after the intramuscular injection of scopolamine and the oral administration of water or effervescent granules. Breath-hold 2D FLASH T1-weighted images in all three planes, turbo spin-echo T2-weighted axial images, and gadolinium-enhanced fat-suppressed 2D FLASH axial images were included. Helical CT was performed 60 sec after initiation of i.v. contrast medium injection (2.5-3 ml/sec). Two groups of two radiologists each independently analyzed the MR and helical CT findings, and these results were compared with the pathologic findings.


RESULTS
For T staging, MR imaging accuracy was higher than that of helical CT (73.3% and 66.7%, respectively); however, the accuracies of the two methods were not significantly different from each other (McNemar test, p > 0.05). Overstaging was noted in 6.7% of cases with MR imaging and 10% with helical CT. Understaging was noted in 20% of cases with MR imaging and 23.3% with helical CT. For N staging, the accuracies of MR imaging and helical CT were 55% and 58.6%, respectively, with no statistical significance (overstaging, 10% and 6.9%; understaging, 34.5% and 34.5%, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
MR imaging was comparable to helical CT in the T and N staging of gastric cancer.
Sohn
K M
KM
Department of Radiology, St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, College of Medicine, Seoul.
Lee
J M
JM
Lee
S Y
SY
Ahn
B Y
BY
Park
S M
SM
Kim
K M
KM
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed