[The value of nuclear magnetic resonance tomography in staging of bone and soft tissue sarcomas]

The prognosis of survival in bone and soft-tissue sarcomas is definitely correlated with compartmental tumor extension at the time of surgery and with the surgical margins achieved by resection. Preoperative planning and selection of an adequate surgical treatment procedure require a maximum of information on the tumor size, compartmental extension, proximity to the physis, skin layers, and the vessels and nerves. This information is indispensable and can only be obtained by a combination of several diagnostic investigations, MRI being of utmost importance. Whereas CT is superior in illustrating the bone structure, MRI outclasses CT in outlining the intraosseous tumor extension and the extraosseous tumor components. The latter aspects are especially important in planning and performing tumor resection. With the combined use of gradient echo sequences and Gadolinium DTPA with MRI, appreciation of the tumor margin and response to polychemotherapy may be possible in the future.