Accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging in pretreatment lymph node assessment for gynecological malignancies

To determine the accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in detection of metastasis in pelvic and para-aortic lymph nodes from different gynecological malignancies.

This retrospective cross sectional analytic study was conducted at the Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Aga Khan University Hospital Karachi Pakistan from January 2011 to December 2012. A sample of 48 women, age range between 20-79 years, fulfilling inclusion criteria were included. All patients had histopathologically proven gynecological malignancies in the cervix, endometrium or ovary and presented for a pretreatment MRI to our radiology department.

MRI was 100% sensitive and had a 100% positive predictive value to detect lymph node metastasis in lymph nodes with spiculated margins and 100% sensitive with a 75% positive predictive value to detect lymph node metastasis in a lymph node with lobulated margins. The sensitivity and positive predictive value of MRI to detect heterogeneous nodal enhancement were 100% and 75% respectively.

Our study results reinforce that MRI should be used as a modality of choice in the pretreatment assessment of lymph nodes in proven gynaecological malignancies in order to determine the line of patient management, distinguishing surgical from non-surgical cases.