Diagnostic accuracy of high resolution MR imaging in local staging of bladder tumors.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the diagnostic accuracy of high-resolution MR imaging done at 1.5T in distinguishing bladder-restricted tumor from non-bladder-restricted tumor and compare the mean short axis dimension of metastatic pelvic lymph nodes with benign pelvic lymph nodes.


METHODS
Analytical study.


METHODS
Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan, from March 2008 to July 2011.


METHODS
Patients with bladder cancer were enrolled. Based on pathologic T-staging following radical cystectomy, patients were assigned to one of two groups. Patients with stage T1 and T2 disease were assigned to the bladder-restricted tumor (BRT) group and those with stage T3 and T4 disease to the non-bladder-restricted tumor (NBRT). High-resolution unenhanced MR imaging done prior to cystectomy was reviewed retrospectively (1.5 T MRI unit; GE Healthcare). Results from MR imaging-based categorization were compared with pathology reports to fulfill the objective. Mean short-axis diameter of largest visible lymph nodes in patients with nodal metastasis was compared with mean short-axis diameter of largest visible lymph nodes in patients with benign lymph nodes.


RESULTS
The accuracy of MRI in differentiating distinguishing bladder-restricted tumor from non-bladder-restricted tumor was 67.72%. The mean short axis diameter of metastatic lymph nodes was greater than that of non-metastatic lymph nodes, i.e., 7.4 mm and 5.4 mm respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Conventional high resolution 1.5T MRI does not appear to offer advantage over imaging done at low field strength scanners.
Department of Radiology, Royal Marsden Cancer Hospital, UK.
Usman
U
Bashir
Department of Surgery, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Center, Lahore.
Irfan
I
Ahmed
Department of Radiology, Nottingham University Hospitals, Nottingham, UK.
Omar
O
Bashir
Department of Pathology, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Center, Lahore.
Muhammad
M
Azam
Department of Radiology, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Center, Lahore.
Zia Sulman
ZS
Faruqui
Department of Radiology, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Center, Lahore.
Najam
N
Uddin
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015653:Cystectomy; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery