Rectal Cancer At 3.0T MRI And FMRI: Preoperative Diagnosis, Staging And Correlation With Tumor Microstructure

ObjectivesTo evaluate the value of both MRI and fMRI at 3.0T in preoperative diagnosing, staging and surgical planning of rectal cancer, and to analyze the correlation of fMRI with microstructure of rectal disease.Materials and Methods1. Both MRI and fMRI were separately obtained in sixty patients with rectal diseases (38 rectal cancers, 6 local recurrence, 3 no local recurrence, 2 adenomas , 2 stromal tumors, 1 dermoid cyst, 1 endometriosis, 7 periannual abscesses and anal fistulas) by using 3.0T MR scanner (GE Signa Excite II, Milwankee, Wisconsin, U.S.A.) with a 8-channel phased-array surface coil. Bowel preparation, hypotonic study and warm sodium chloride enema were manipulated before the examination.2. Routine MRI scanning: The image quality, artifact and demonstration of rectal tumors and the wall of the rectum of 11 different sequences, including coronal T₂WI(FRFSE-XL), coronal T₂FS(FRFSE-XL), sagital T₂WI(FRFSE-XL), sagital T₂FS(FRFSE-XL), axial T₂WI(FRFSE-XL), axial T₂FS(FRFSE-XL), axial T₁WI(FSE-XL), axial T₁WI(F-SPGR), axial T₁FS(F-SPGR), 2D MR hydrography(SSFSE)and contrast enhancement(3D F-SPGR), were compared. The diagnosis and staging were made according to MRI findings and were correlated with the pathologic findings. The distance from the lower margin of rectal cancer to the point where levator ani muscle attached to rectum was measured in order to...