Preoperative staging of rectal cancer with MR imaging: Correlation with surgical and histopathologic findings

In this study, 26 patients (with an age range of 27-80 years), with biopsy provedrectal carcinoma, underwent MRI for preoperative staging between february 2009- march2010. On MRI, tumor depth, lymph node metastases and MRF involvement were asssesed.In T staging; 19 of 26 patients, MRI was compatible with histopathological results.On MRI; five patients were overstaged, two patients were understaged. In our study,overall accurracy in T staging was % 73.In N staging; 10 of 26 patients who had histopathologically positive metastaticlymph nodes, 8 were correctly detected on MRI. Of the 16 patients who hadhistopathologically negative metastatic lymph nodes, 13 were detected on MRI. In ourstudy, overall accurracy in N staging was % 81.In our study, MRF invasion was detected six of 26 patients on histopathologicalexamination. Five of six patients were dignosed correctly, in one patient MRF invasioncouldn`t be detected on MRI. 20 patients without MRF invasion were correctly detectedon MRI. In our study, overall accurracy in MRF evaluation was % 96.As a result; MRI is sensitive and noninvasive technique in detecting rectum ca localinvasion, MRF involvement and LN metastases. MRI can be used for staging inpreoperative evaluation for deciding optimal treatment.