Rational diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck region: comparative evaluation of CT, MRI, and 18FDG PET.
OBJECTIVE
We sought to evaluate the efficiency of (18)FDG PET, CT, and MRI for the preoperative staging of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the head and neck region.


CONCLUSIONS
MRI is recommended as the method of choice in the preoperative evaluation of SCC of the oral cavity and the oropharynx. PET can provide relevant diagnostic information in case of equivocal findings by MRI or CT. Routine use of PET, however, does not appear to be necessary if optimized MRI is available.
Dammann
Florian
F
Department of Diagnostic Radiology, University Hospital Tuebingen, Hoppe-Seyler-Strasse 3, Tuebingen D-72076, Germany.
Horger
Marius
M
Mueller-Berg
Marcus
M
Schlemmer
Heinz
H
Claussen
Claus D
CD
Claussen
Claus
C
Hoffman
Juergen
J
Eschmann
Susanne
S
Bares
Roland
R
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010610:Pharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D012372:ROC Curve; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18