Relationship between histologic thickness of tongue carcinoma and thickness estimated from preoperative MRI

Several studies have shown that the thickness of tongue carcinoma is related to prognosis and to the likelihood of cervical node metastases. We investigated whether preoperative estimates of tumor thickness and volume, as determined from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), correlated with histologic t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:European radiology 2006-10, Vol.16 (10), p.2242-2248
Main Authors: Preda, Lorenzo, Chiesa, Fausto, Calabrese, Luca, Latronico, Antuono, Bruschini, Roberto, Leon, Maria E, Renne, Giuseppe, Bellomi, Massimo
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - pathology
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - surgery
Contrast Media
Female
Gadolinium DTPA
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging - methods
Male
Middle Aged
Neck Dissection
Neoplasm Staging
Retrospective Studies
Skin cancer
Statistics, Nonparametric
Tongue Neoplasms - pathology
Tongue Neoplasms - surgery
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Summary:Several studies have shown that the thickness of tongue carcinoma is related to prognosis and to the likelihood of cervical node metastases. We investigated whether preoperative estimates of tumor thickness and volume, as determined from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), correlated with histologic thickness and might therefore predict the presence of neck metastases. We assessed relationships between histologic tumor thickness and MRI tumor thickness and volume in a retrospective series of 33 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue. Thicknesses were determined by direct measurement and by considering corrections for ulceration or tumor vegetation (reconstructed thickness). Relationships between MRI thickness and the presence or absence of homolateral and contralateral nodal metastases were also investigated. We found that MRI thicknesses correlated strongly and directly with histologic tumor thicknesses, although mean MRI thicknesses were significantly greater than histologic thicknesses. MRI thicknesses were significantly greater in patients with contralateral neck involvement than in those with no neck involvement. We conclude that MRI provides an accurate and reproducible means of estimating the thickness of tongue carcinomas, paving the way for further studies on more extensive series of patients to determine whether preoperatively determined MRI thickness can reliably predict homolateral and bilateral neck involvement.
ISSN:0938-7994
1432-1084
DOI:10.1007/s00330-006-0263-9