title: A retrospective review of magnetic resonance imaging in assessing the extent of myometrial infiltration for patients with endometrial carcinoma.
abstract: The surgical treatment of endometrial malignancy is based on pre-operative assessment of differentiation, myometrial and lymph node infiltration. Studies have reported the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with conflicting results. This study aims to review the pre-operative accuracy of MRI against the histology in endometrial cancer within a district hospital. A total of 112 women were identified from January 1997 to December 2004. The post-operative FIGO staging showed 76.2% Stage I, 7.6% Stage II, 14.3% Stage III and 1.7% Stage IV. A total of 57% (n = 60) had a pre-operative MRI. The myometrial infiltration was difficult to interpret in 31 MRIs. The time between hysteroscopy and MRI scan in those cases was shorter (Mean 3 weeks, SD +/- 1.5) than in reports with a clear interpretation (4.4 weeks, SD +/- 1.6). Sensitivity for MRI to detect deep myometrial infiltration was 35.7% (5/14) and specificity 50% (23/46). Accuracy was 46.6% (28/60). The presented data suggests a poor predictability of myometrial invasion by MRI but the numbers are small and MRI is a rapidly evolving modality. The conclusions must be treated with caution and cannot easily be applied to large gynaecological cancer units in general.
authors.affiliation: University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, UK. rieckgudrun@aol.com
authors.forename: G C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Rieck
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bulman
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Whitaker
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Leeson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000473:pathology*; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D009215:Myometrium / Q000473:pathology*; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D012189:Retrospective Studies