[Distinguishing of scar tissue from recurrent tumor after therapy of tumors of the female pelvis].

Patients treated for gynecological malignancies are followed up at short intervals during the first 3 years after treatment. Locoregional recurrence in the pelvis is often not detectable by palpation. Thus, efficient and sensitive follow-up of patients treated for gynecologic malignancies requires the use of imaging techniques. Computed tomography is well suited for the primary diagnoses of locoregional recurrences and lymph-node metastases after radical surgery. In addition to detailed anatomical information, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) permits tissue characterization on the basis of signal intensity and thus differentiation between fibrosis and recurrence. After primary radiotherapy for cervical cancer, MRI follow-up can assess tumor response to treatment. Prognostic evaluation of the success or failure of treatment requires knowledge of the signal characteristics and volume of the primary tumor and of the interval since primary treatment. In our experience, conventional spin-echo sequences with heavy T2-weighting are best for distinguishing between fibrosis and recurrence.