title: Application value of MRI combined with positron emission tomography (PET)/CT in diagnosis and preoperative staging of tongue squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study aimed to compare and analyse the findings of tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) on MRI and positron emission tomography (PET)/CT and explore the diagnostic utility of combined MRI-PET/CT in the diagnosis and preoperative staging of TSCC.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective analysis of MRI and PET/CT data in 18 TSCC cases was performed. Cases were comprehensively staged on MRI and PET/CT preoperatively according to American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging criteria and confirmed by pathological results.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The highest and lowest sensitivities of preoperative AJCC staging I-IV using MRI alone, PET/CT alone and combined MRI-PET/CT were 100.0%, 100.0% and 100.0% (stage II) and 50.4%, 55.6% and 55.6% (stage I), respectively. The highest specificities were 100.0%, 100.0% and 100.0% (stage II), and the highest correct rates were 100.0%, 96.5% and 100.0% (stage II). Compared with the postoperative pathological staging, preoperative staging showed no significant difference for stages I-II and IV (P > 0.05); however, stage III showed a significant difference (P < 0.05). When combined MRI-PET/CT was compared with MRI alone in the accuracy of preoperative TSCC staging, there was no significant difference for stages I-III (P > 0.05), but there was a significant difference for stage IV (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Combined MRI and PET/CT could serve as an important tool for the accurate diagnosis and preoperative staging of TSCC and could improve the accuracy of preoperative TSCC staging.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangdong General Hospital, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China; Graduate College, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Wenbo
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Chunxing
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Shuixing
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Long
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Chunling
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Zhonglin
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Changhong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D064847:Multimodal Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D011300:Preoperative Care / Q000379:methods; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*; D014062:Tongue Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery
keywords: AJCC staging; MRI combined with PET/CT; tongue squamous cell carcinoma