Magnetic resonance imaging of urinary bladder cancer

The treatment and prognosis of urinary bladder cancer are largely determined by the tumour stage and the presence or not of metastases. Magnetic resonance imaging and clinical staging complement each other. Magnetic resonance imaging is the most accurate technique for differentiating the various stages of deep tumour infiltration and for detecting metastases, whereas clinical staging is the best technique for differentiating between post-biopsy effects and the various stages of superficial tumours. The role played by magnetic resonance imaging in the staging of this disease and the monitoring of therapy is reviewed and illustrated. Finally, the authors present an overview of the current and future applications of this technique.