J Korean Radiol Soc.  1994 Aug;31(2):287-294.

MR Imaging of Gastric Carcinoma' Comparison with CT

• Chun KA
• Shinn KS
• Kim CY
• Lee JM
• Kim HS

Abstract

PURPOSE
To assess the value of MR imaging compared to CT for the staging of gastric carcinoma when body-wrap-around surface coil, intravenous glucagon, motion suppression technique and effervescent granules are used. MATERIAL AND METHOD: CT and MRI were performed for thirty-five patients with gastric carcinoma. Postcontrast CT scan was performed immediately after oral effervescent granules and Buscopan were given. Before MR imaging, BWA surface coil was wrapped around the upper abdomen. T1 coronal, sagittal and axial SE images (TRITE=400/15 msec) were obtained immediately after oral effervescent granules and glucagon were given. Respiratory compensation and presaturation techniques were used for each imaging. Three radiologists evaluated independently for randomly mixed 70 sets of CT and MR images. The signal intensity of gastric mass and enlarged lymph nodes were compared to the signal intensity of the adjacent pancreas, liver and spleen to evaluate any discriminating features between them.
RESULTS
The accuracy in the diagnosis of pancreatic invasion was 83.8% on MRI and 74.3% on CT (p < 0.05). The accuracy of MRI and CT was 77.1% and 72.4% in detecting of gastric tumor respectively (p > 0.05), 73.3% and 68.6% in gastric serosal invasion (p> 0.05), 50.5% and 42.9% in lymph node metastasis (p > 0.05). The gastric mass and enlarged lymph nodes were hypointense to the intensity of pancreas and liver in more than 78% of cases.
CONCLUSION
MRI was comparable to CT scan for the staging of gastric carcinoma. Therefore, MRI could be used as an alternative or adjunctive diagnostic modality in the staging of gastric carcinoma.

MeSH Terms

Abdomen
Butylscopolammonium Bromide
Compensation and Redress
Diagnosis
Glucagon
Humans
Liver
Lymph Nodes
Magnetic Resonance Imaging*
Neoplasm Metastasis
Pancreas
Spleen
Tomography, X-Ray Computed
Butylscopolammonium Bromide
Glucagon