title: Clinical significance of three-dimensional measurement of tumour thickness on magnetic resonance imaging in patients with oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify the clinical significance of primary tumour thickness (TT) and its direction in patients with oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC), we measured TT in all axial/coronal/sagittal views on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and evaluated their meaning.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 53 OTSCC patients were analysed who had undergone preoperative three-dimensional MRI and had been surgically treated. TT measured on axial (mediolateral direction), coronal (superoinferior direction), and sagittal (anteroposterior direction) views was compared to that in pathologic specimens. The association between TT on MRI and other pathologic parameters was also evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  TT on MRI in each plane showed relatively high concordance rates with the histological measurements. TT in all three planes was significantly correlated with lymph node (LN) metastasis. Occult LN metastasis was found in 15 of 39 (38.5%) patients, and the cutoff value of TT in axial/coronal/sagittal MRI predicting occult LN metastasis was 6.7 mm, 7.2 mm, and 12.3 mm, respectively. TT on MRI did not show any significant association with recurrence and survival.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TT on MRI in all three planes showed relatively high coincidence with TT on histopathology and presented a potential cut-off value as a predictive indicator for occult LN metastasis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Three-dimensional measurement of tumour thickness (TT) is important for oral cancer treatment. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a useful diagnostic tool for oral cancer. TT on MRI has a high coincidence with TT on histopathology. TT on MRI is a predictive marker for occult lymph node metastasis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Gyeongsang National University Hospital, School of Medicine, Jinju, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Minsu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Asan Medical Centre, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hyun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Moon
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Asan Medical Centre, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea. synam@amc.seoul.kr.
authors.forename: Soon Yuhl
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Nam
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Asan Medical Centre, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jeong Hyun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Asan Medical Centre, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Ji Won
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Asan Medical Centre, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Yoon-Se
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Asan Medical Centre, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jong-Lyel
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Roh
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Asan Medical Centre, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Seung-Ho
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Asan Medical Centre, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.|Biomedical Research Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sang-Yoon
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology* / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000473:pathology* / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery; D011182:Postoperative Care / Q000379:methods; D011300:Preoperative Care / Q000379:methods; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D014062:Tongue Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D047368:Tumor Burden
keywords: Magnetic resonance imaging; Squamous cell carcinoma; Survival; Tongue cancer; Tumour thickness