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Imaging of female pelvic malignancies regarding MRI, CT, and PET/CT

Part 1

Bildgebung weiblicher Beckentumoren unter Berücksichtigung von MRT, CT und PET/CT: Teil 1

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Strahlentherapie und Onkologie Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Aim

The goal of this article is to provide an overview of diagnostic standard operating procedures for both clinical and imaging assessment of cervical and endometrial carcinoma, sarcoma of the uterus, and primary pelvic non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Methods

The literature was reviewed for methods used to diagnose malignancies in the female pelvis with a special focus on the role of MRI as the imaging method of choice. Furthermore, CT findings and staging criteria for the mentioned malignancies are also provided.

Conclusion

Whereas ultrasound still remains the imaging modality of choice in clinical practice for the early diagnosis of female pelvic malignancies, MRI is more frequently recognized as a diagnostic tool for its accuracy in tumor identification. MRI also plays a crucial role in the 3D pretreatment planning for brachytherapy especially in cervical cancer. In the future, PET/CT might achieve an important role for staging lymph nodes or distant metastases as well as tumor recurrence.

Ziel

Überblick über den aktuellen Stand der bildgebenden Diagnostik des Zervix- und des Endometriumkarzinoms, des Uterussarkoms und des primären Non-Hodgkin-Lymphoms des Beckens.

Methodik

Durchsicht der Fachliteratur und Erstellung einer Übersicht der Diagnostik weiblicher Beckentumoren mittels MRT und CT sowie PET/CT mit Bildbeispielen unter Einschluss der tumorbezogenen Staging-Kriterien sowie empfohlenen MRT-Sequenzen.

Schlussfolgerung

Im klinischen Alltag ist der Ultraschall für die Primärdiagnostik weiblicher Beckentumoren bildgebendes Verfahren der Wahl, wobei die MRT durch den hohen Weichteilkontrast einen zunehmenden Stellenwert als bildgebendes Verfahren zur Tumordetektion besitzt. Auch für die prätherapeutische 3D-Bestrahlungsplanung insbesondere des Zervixkarzinomes spielt die MRT eine wichtige Rolle. Die PET/CT erscheint zunehmend relevanter im Lymphknotenstaging sowie in der Detektion von Fernmetastasen und in der Rezidivdiagnostik.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical School, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany

    Kerstin A. Brocker MD, MSc, Michael Eichbaum & Christof Sohn

  2. Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Medical School, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany

    Celine D. Alt, Hans-Ulrich Kauczor & Peter Hallscheidt

  3. Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Medical School, University of Heidelberg, Vossstraße 9, 69115, Heidelberg, Germany

    Kerstin A. Brocker MD, MSc

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  1. Kerstin A. Brocker MD, MSc
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  2. Celine D. Alt
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  3. Michael Eichbaum
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Correspondence to Kerstin A. Brocker MD, MSc.

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Brocker, K.A., Alt, C.D., Eichbaum, M. et al. Imaging of female pelvic malignancies regarding MRI, CT, and PET/CT. Strahlenther Onkol 187, 611–618 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00066-011-4001-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00066-011-4001-0

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