Preoperative MR staging of cervical carcinoma: are oblique and contrast-enhanced sequences necessary?

BACKGROUND: As the choice of treatment in patients with cervical carcinoma depends on cancer stage at diagnosis, accurate staging is essential.

PURPOSE: To compare three different combinations of magnetic resonance (MR) sequences for preoperative staging.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: Fifty-seven consecutive patients with biopsy proven cervical carcinoma underwent MR imaging (MRI) staging followed by primary surgical treatment. Thirty-two of 57 patients had had a cone biopsy prior to MRI. Three MR pulse sequence combinations were retrospectively reviewed by two experienced radiologists. The first imaging protocol consisted of pre-contrast sagittal and transverse images (protocol A), the second protocol included additionally oblique high-resolution T2-weighted (T2W) MR images of the cervix (protocol A+B), and the third included also contrast-enhanced sequences (protocol A+B+C). The imaging findings in the three steps (A, A+B, A+B+C) were recorded. The TNM stage was used for comparison between preoperative imaging and histopathology. Histopathology, together with surgical findings, served as gold standard.

RESULTS: In 4/57 (7%) patients, the MR assessment of tumor stage (mrT) was altered when oblique sequences were added to the standard two plane imaging protocol (A+B). The mrT stage was altered in 1/57 (2%) patient when contrast-enhanced sequences were added to standard and oblique sequences (protocol A+B+C). The correlation between visible tumor on MRI and presence of tumor in the resected specimen did not change by adding oblique or contrast-enhanced images.

CONCLUSION: It is not necessary to perform oblique and contrast-enhanced sequences in small cervical carcinomas, i.e. without parametrial invasion. To avoid erroneous interpretation, information on previous cone biopsy is essential.