Abstract
BACKGROUND: Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) plays an important role in the detection of acute cerebral infarction. Recent technical developments have made DWI of the body feasible. Several studies have revealed the usefulness of DWI for the diagonois of breast cancer lymph node metastasis. We herein present cases of rectal cancer lymph node metastasis detected by DWI and discuss the efficacy of DWI for the diagnosis of rectal cancer lymph node metastasis.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-seven patients with primary rectal cancer were preoperatively assessed by enhanced computed tomography (CT) and DWI. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed using the 1.5-T imager (TOSHIBA). Two experienced digestive surgeons and one resident evaluated the involvement of regional lymph node metastasis. All operations were performed by these three doctors. The preoperative lymph node metastases were compared with the pathologic findings. Results: The CT and DWI lymph node metastasis coincided with the metastasis in 10 (58.8%)and 15 (88.2%) of 17 patients.
CONCLUSIONS: Through the use of DWI, pelvic lymph node involvement can be predicted with high accuracy, allowing preoperative identification of patients who need extensive surgery to escape recurrence.
