Comparison of hydro-US and spiral CT in the staging of gastric cancer

The purpose of this study was to compare the diagnostic accuracy of hydro u ltrasonography (US) and spiral computed tomography (CT) in the staging of g astric cancer. Forty-three patients with gastric cancers confirmed at surge ry underwent hydro-US and spiral CT on the same day prospectively. Hydro-US and spiral CT were done after ingestion of water. US and CT images were in dependently analyzed. After surgery, pathological findings according to TNM classification were compared with US and-CT findings. The detection rate f or T1 tumors was 75% (12/16), and all T2-T4 tumors were detected (27/27). I n the T class, good correlation with pathology occurred in 55.8% of cases f or US and 58.1% for CT, and there was no difference in staging accuracy bet ween US and CT (P=.7667). Overstaging occurred in 14% for US and CT. Unders taging occurred in 30.2% for US and 27.9% for CT. In the N class, good corr elation with pathology occurred in 60.5% for US and 55.8% for CT, and there was no difference in staging accuracy between US and CT (P=.0949). Oversta ging occurred in 4.7% for US and 18.6% for CT, and understaging occurred in 34.9% and 25.6%, respectively. The diagnostic accuracy of hydro-US and spi ral CT in the staging of gastric cancer was between 55.8% and 60.5%, and th ere was no significant difference in staging accuracy between hydro-US and spiral CT, except for a tendency to overstaging by CT and understaging by U S in the N class (P < .05). (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reser ved.