[Delayed MDCT in preoperative analysis of the hypopharyngeal postcricoid carcinomas]

Determination of borders of the postcricoid tumors is of great significance during preoperative analysis, because it can be of considerable influence on operative treatment and its planning. Therefore, exact demarcation, delineation and opacification of tumor zone on CT analysis is crucial.

Late CT scan delay of 150 sec and slow vein flow of contrast agents of 1 ml/sec is radiological method of choice in preoperative evaluation of carcinoma of the post-cricoid region. For our purposes we used modern MSCT Light Speed GE 64, with slice thick of 2.5 mm (retro recon of 0.625) with software postprocesing.

In our study, we have detaily analized 25 patients with clinically proved carcinoma of hypopharynx, of which 8 had the hardest form of tumor. Control group were patients to whom CT scan was done by standard protocol and CT time scan of 50 sec. With all 8 of them, scanned by protocol of delay time of 150 sec, was proved a statistically important validity of interpretation and demarcation of tumors.

Delay time on CT scanning is proved to be efficient protocol for visualization of neck soft tissues which includes the walls of hypopharynx.