title: The value of PET compared to MRI in malignant head and neck tumors.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Reliable diagnosis plays an important role in the early detection of head and neck tumors. The objective of this study was to compare the value and clinical relevance of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) regarding the assessment and the identification of head and neck tumors.
  
  
  METHODS
  From January 1, 2005, to January 1, 2007, 120 patients suffering from carcinomas of the oropharynx and larynx were examined by means of MRI and PET.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The difference between sensitivity and specificity of MRI and PET was not significant with regard to the diagnosis of primary tumors, recurrence, or cancer of unknown primary. A statistically significant difference between both methods only occurred for detectron of malignant lymph nodes of size >10 mm.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In particular, the assessment of small tumors by MRI and PET is characterized by a high number of false-negative findings. The future of diagnostic imaging is likely to be a combination of both techniques, as a hybrid technique.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Müllroser Chaussee 7, 15236 Frankfurt (Oder), Germany. th.guenzel.ch@klinikumffo.de
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Guenzel
authors.forename: Achim
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Franzen
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wiegand
authors.forename: Sabine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kraetschmer
authors.forename: Johann Ludwig
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Jahn
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mironczuk
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wilhelm
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schrom
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies