The Diagnostic Accuracy of MRI Pelvis in Parametrial Invasion in Patients with Cervical Cancer keeping Histopathology as Gold Standard

Abstract

Objective: To determine the diagnostic accuracy of MRI pelvis in parametrial invasion in patients with cervical cancer (CC) keeping histopathology as gold standard.

Methodology: This cross-sectional study was conducted at department of Radiology, Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences (LUMHS), Hyderabad, from April 2022 to October 2022. All women aged 31–70 years with a diagnosis of cervical cancer, including both premenopausal and postmenopausal women, who underwent pelvic MRI for pretreatment local staging before surgery and subsequently underwent radical hysterectomy with histopathological examination of the surgical specimen were included in the study. MRI scans were assessed by a consultant radiologist to evaluate the presence or absence of parametrial invasion in cervical cancer, and the findings were further compared with the histopathological findings of hysterectomy specimens, to assess the diagnostic accuracy of MRI by using 2 x 2 tables keeping histopathological findings as gold standard.

Results: Overall mean age of 134 enrolled patients was 49.67±11.99 years, with majority of pre-menopausal women. The MRI pelvis exhibited an overall diagnostic accuracy around 88.06% with sensitivity 86.49% and specificity 88.66%, for detecting parametrial invasion, compared to the histopathology as the gold standard. Additionally, the diagnostic accuracy was some higher noted among women aged >45 years and with post-menopausal status, while not significant.

Conclusion: MRI showed higher sensitivity, specificity and overall diagnostic accuracy in diagnosis parametrial invasion in cases of cervical cancer, based on histopathology as gold standard.