Sensitivity and specificity of magnetic resonance imaging in prediction of cervical lymph node metastasis in oral squamous cell carcinomas

Abstract

Background: The inaccuracies in the clinical examination have been well-documented while advanced imaging modalities including computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have been shown to have superior diagnostic accuracy in detecting occult and nodal metastasis. The aim of the present study was to identify as well as evaluate the inaccuracies in clinical examination and clinical diagnostic criteria in known cases of oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCCs) with the help of MRI.

Methodology: A total of 24 patients attending as outpatients were included in the study while clinically diagnosed and histopathologically proven cases of OSCC were examined clinically and then, subjected to advanced imaging with the help of MRI. Statistical Analysis Used: Statistical analysis was done using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 17.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) while paired t-test was performed for evaluating the size of the tumour and lymph node recorded on clinical and imaging findings. p<0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results: Detection of tumour size and lymph node metastasis were found to be higher in the case of MRI than when accomplished by clinical staging alone while paired t-test values for the difference in results were found to be statistically significant (p<0.05).

Conclusions: The present study showed that clinical diagnostic criteria alone were not sufficient and reliable for detecting metastatic lymphadenopathy highlighting the significance of advanced imaging modalities like MRI for an efficient pre-operative diagnostic workup as well as, as a tool for planning treatment in patients with OSCCs.