Cervical carcinoma with full-thickness stromal invasion: relationship between tumor size on T2-weighted images and parametrial involvement.

Purpose: The purpose of this work was to investigate the relationship between tumor size on T2-weighted images and parametrial involvement by cervical carcinoma with full-thickness stromal invasion and to evaluate whether the size of the tumor on T2-weighted images is a useful index of parametrial involvement.
Method: T2-weighted images of 33 patients with cervical carcinoma showed full-thickness stromal invasion. Three-dimensional diameters (transverse, anteroposterior, and craniocaudal) of the primary tumor were measured on T2-weighted images. The area and volume of the tumor were also calculated.
Results: There were statistically significant differences between the patients with parametrial involvement and those without parametrial involvement for each tumor size. The criteria that showed the best accuracy for each tumor size were determined.
Conclusion: The tumor size on T2-weighted images is considered to be a useful index for evaluating parametrial involvement by cervical carcinoma with full-thickness stromal invasion.