The role of MRI in evaluation of cervical carcinoma

ObjectiveTo review the role of MRI in the diagnosis and staging of cervical carcinoma.BackgroundIt is widely accepted that MRI is the preferred imaging modality for detection of cervical carcinoma nowadays; different techniques are needed for early detection of the disease, its correct staging, and treatment.Patients and methodsThis case–control study included 62 patients divided into a case group of 32 patients diagnosed clinically or by transvaginal ultrasound with cervical cancer, confirmed by biopsy, and a control group of 30 patients who had pelvic MRI for other reasons. All patients were assessed by history and review of previous ultrasound reports and underwent pelvic MRI with diffusion-weighted MRI and dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI.ResultsThis study revealed a statistically significant difference between the case and control groups regarding apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value (P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in ADC value between different subtypes of cervical cancer. The diagnostic accuracy of ADC in discrimination of patients and control in defining the best cutoff value of ADC (×10–3), which was 1.10, was 99.5%, with sensitivity of 96.6% and specificity of 96.9%.ConclusionDiffusion-weighted imaging is a potentially useful adjunct to conventional MRI in evaluating cervical carcinoma, thus improving overall diagnostic accuracy, tumor staging, prediction of response to therapy, and treatment follow-up. ADC values may vary not only with different imaging parameters but also with different types of MRI systems.