Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Rectal Cancer on the Evaluation of Preoperative Staging and Detection of Postoperative Local Recurrence

Masato Ihara

First Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Chiba University

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed to evaluate the preoperative staging of rectal cancer and to diagnose its postoperative local recurrence, and the MRI was compared with computed tomography (CT). MRI was significantly better than CT in its specificity for preoperative diagnosis of invasion into local organs (98.4% and 72.3%, p<0.05). Assessing the diagnosis of local recurrence of rectal cancer by the MRI relaxation times, the T₁ value of local recurrence of post-anterior resection was 648±71.4 msec, and the T₂ value was 84±27.8 msec. The T₁ value of the local recurrence of post-rectal amputation was 705±94.4 msec, and the T₂ value was 103±24.3 msec. The T₁ value of scar tissue was 475±156.5 msec and the T₂ value was 49±4.5 msec. The T₁ and T₂ relaxation times of local recurrence of post-anterior resection, and those of post-rectal amputation were significantly greater than those of scar tissue (p<0.05, p<0.01).

Key words
computedtomography, magneticresonanceimaging, preoperativestagingofrectalcancer, local recurrence of rectal cancer, relaxation time

Reprint requests
Masato Ihara 1st Department of Surgery, School of Medicine Chiba University
1-8-1 Inohana, Chiba, 280 JAPAN

Accepted
December 13, 1989

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