Sensitivity of computed tomography in evaluation of pelvic lymph node metastases from carcinoma of bladder and prostate.

Pelvic lymph node evaluation by computed tomography was correlated with histologic diagnosis in patients with prostate and bladder carcinoma. Based on computed tomography alone, the stage of the carcinomas would have been underestimated in 38 per cent of cases and overestimated in 6 per cent. Over-all, the sensitivity of pelvic CT scanning in detecting lymph node involvement was only 14 per cent with specificity of 89 per cent. Although this series is relatively small and both second and fourth generation scanners were used, the limitations of computed tomography in recognizing minimal nodal disease or microscopic invasion of adjacent organs is reemphasized.