title: Uterine cervical carcinoma: a comparison of two- and three-dimensional T2-weighted turbo spin-echo MR imaging at 3.0 T for image quality and local-regional staging.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare three-dimensional (3D) T2-weighted turbo spin-echo (TSE) with multiplanar two-dimensional (2D) T2-weighted TSE for the evaluation of invasive cervical carcinoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-five patients with cervical carcinoma underwent MRI of the pelvis at 3.0 T, using both 5-mm-thick multiplanar 2D (total acquisition time = 12 min 25 s) and 1-mm-thick coronal 3D T2-weighted TSE sequences (7 min 20 s). Quantitative analysis of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and qualitative analysis of image quality were performed. Local-regional staging was performed in 45 patients who underwent radical hysterectomy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The estimated SNR of cervical carcinoma and the relative tumour contrast were significantly higher on 3D imaging (P < 0.0001). Tumour conspicuity was better with the 3D sequence, but the sharpness of tumour margin was better with the 2D sequence. No significant difference in overall image quality was noted between the two sequences (P = 0.38). There were no significant differences in terms of the diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of parametrial invasion, vaginal invasion, and lymph node metastases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Multiplanar reconstruction 3D T2-weighted imaging is largely equivalent to 2D T2-weighted imaging for overall image quality and staging accuracy of cervical carcinoma with a shorter MR data acquisition, but has limitations with regard to the sharpness of the tumour margin.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, 222, Banpo-daero, Seocho-gu, Seoul 137-701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Y R
authors.initials: YR
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Rha
authors.forename: B G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: S N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: M Y
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: J Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Byun
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000465:Algorithms; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*