Ja. Castelijns et al., LARYNGEAL CARCINOMA AFTER RADIATION-THERAPY - CORRELATION OF ABNORMALMR-IMAGING SIGNAL PATTERNS IN LARYNGEAL CARTILAGE WITH THE RISK OF RECURRENCE, Radiology, 198(1), 1996, pp. 151-155
PURPOSE: To correlate abnormal magnetic resonance (MR) imaging signal
patterns in cartilage with the effectiveness of radiation treatment. M
ATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighty previously untreated patients underwent M
R imaging and radiation therapy with a curative intent. Cartilage was
considered to have an abnormal signal pattern if it had intermediate s
ignal intensity on TI-weighted spin-echo (SE) MR images and high signa
l intensity on T2-weighted SE MR images. The minimum follow-up was 2 y
ears. RESULTS: Abnormal MR imaging signal patterns of the thyroid cart
ilage (P < .001; P < .04) were more ominous than those of other cartil
age. Abnormal signal patterns in cartilage of patients with small tumo
rs (<5 cm(3) and especially <1 cm(3)) were less significant. Abnormal
signal patterns in cartilage combined with a large tumor (>5 cm(3)) wo
rsened the prognosis significantly (P < .05). CONCLUSION: Abnormal MR
imaging signal patterns in cartilage may not indicate a poor prognosis
in every ease. Abnormal signal intensity in the thyroid cartilage com
bined with a tumor volume of >5 cm(3), however, appears to indicate an
adverse prognosis with regard to tumor recurrence.