Histopathology of uterine cervical carcinoma: diagnostic comparison of endorectal surface coil and standard body coil MRI.

OBJECTIVE

We compared body coil (BC) MR images and endorectal surface coil (ERC) images with respect to the visualization of the cervix and adjacent tissues and the histopathologic correlations of the imaging findings.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Twenty-one patients with cervical carcinoma underwent MRI using both coils for evaluation of the cervix and adjacent tissues. In all patients, surgical confirmation of the diagnosis was obtained after imaging.

RESULTS

The ERC images were superior to BC images for visualization of the cervix, parametrium, anterior vaginal wall, and posterior bladder wall (p < 0.005). The accuracy of detecting parametrial invasion by ERC and BC imaging was, respectively, 95 and 79% (p < 0.05), while the differences of accuracy between BC and ERC imaging were not statistically significant in staging or in assessing for invasion to corpus, vagina, bladder, and rectum. All the false-positive sites of parametrial invasion on BC images were diagnosed correctly on ERC images.

CONCLUSION

Endorectal surface coil imaging is useful in assessing the extent of cervical carcinoma, especially parametrial invasion, because it can delineate the tumor and the normal tissues in detail.