Primary staging of urinary bladder carcinoma: the role of MRI and a comparison with CT

• Published in: European radiology 1996-01, Vol.6 (2), p.129-133
• Main Authors: Barentsz, J O, Jager, G J, Witjes, J A, Ruijs, J H
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biopsy; Carcinoma - diagnostic imaging; Carcinoma - pathology; Carcinoma - surgery; Costs and Cost Analysis; Edema - pathology; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging - economics; Muscle, Smooth - pathology; Neoplasm Invasiveness; Neoplasm Staging; Postoperative Complications; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Ultrasonography; Urinary Bladder - anatomy & histology; Urinary Bladder - pathology; Urinary Bladder Diseases - pathology; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms - diagnostic imaging; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms - pathology; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms - surgery
• ISSN: 0938-7994; 1432-1084
• DOI: 10.1007/BF00181125

Since the introduction, pelvic MRI has been considered the best non-invasive technique for primary staging of urinary bladder cancer. Before using MRI an understanding of normal and pathological MR images of the urinary bladder is essential. This review therefore describes the MR anatomy of the urinary bladder as well as the appearances of carcinoma. MRI plays an important clinical role in staging the primary tumour. In superficial tumours, clinical staging, which includes transurethral biopsy, is the best technique. For invasive tumours, MRI is superior to other techniques such as CT scanning, transvesical ultrasonography and clinical staging. A limitation of both MRI and CT scanning is their inability to recognize minimal tumour growth in the muscle layer of the bladder wall, or to differentiate between post-transurethral resection oedema and tumour. Therefore, in all patients with urinary bladder cancer staging should preferably start with MRI followed by clinical staging. Unfortunately, however, because of the high cost of this strategy, MRI has to be reserved for staging deeply invasive and superficial poorly differentiated tumours.