Assessment of the invasion of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma to thoracic aorta with 3.0T multiple magnetic resonance imaging sequences
ZHANG Jing, GAO Ya, WAN Shang, HUANG Yu-cheng, TANG Yu-lian, HU Guang-hong, CHEN Tian-wu
Sichuan Key Laboratory of Medical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong Sichuan 637000, China
Abstract：Objective: To explore the value of preoperative 3.0T MRI using multiple sequences in evaluating the esophageal squamous cell carcinoma invading thoracic aorta. Methods: Forty-nine patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma confirmed by esophageal X-ray barium and esophagoscope biopsy underwent preoperative multiple sequence MRI scan three days before surgical treatment. According to the MRI data, the esophageal tumor invading thoracic aorta was determined by the combination of the contact angle method and triangle method as the reference standards. The imaging findings were compared with intraoperative observations and postoperative pathologic results. Results: According to “contact angle method” reported by Hiari et al and Furukawa et al as the reference standard, the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of MRI determining the invasion of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma to thoracic aorta were 84.78%, 66.67% and 83.67%, respectively. According to the “triangle method” reported by Takashima et al as the reference standard, the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of this method were 95.65%, 100% and 95.92%, respectively. Conclusion: 3.0T multiple sequence MRI can clearly show the anatomical relationship between esophageal cancer and thoracic aorta, and can be of great clinical application value to determine the invasion of esophageal carcinoma into thoracic aorta and its resectability.
2015, Vol. 26 
