[Comparison of CT and MRI in diagnosis of tumors of the nasopharynx, the inner nose and the paranasal sinuses]

Abstract

A total of 292 patients with tumors of the nasopharynx, the nose and the paranasal sinuses--264 cases with malignant tumors--were examined with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) for comparison. MRI yielded better results than CT in the detection and staging of neoplasms of the nasopharynx (detection: CT 84.9%, MRI 96.7%; staging: CT 75.2%, MRI 92.4%). The walls and septae of the paranasal sinuses and of the skull base were in all cases best visualized on high-resolution CT with thin slices. Tumor detection, differentiation of tumor and inflammatory tissue and staging, however, were better achieved using MRI than CT (detection: CT 84.7%, MRI 91.6%; staging: CT 78.6%, MRI 80.9%). The use of fast and ultrafast MR sequences (alternatively or additionally to 'conventional' spin echo sequences) improved the tumor diagnosis. We therefore recommend that patients with tumors of the nasopharynx, the nose and the paranasal sinuses undergo MRI with fast spin echo and gradient echo sequences as first imaging modality.