Utility of intravaginal ultrasound gel for local staging of cervical carcinoma on MRI.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to evaluate the utility of intravaginal ultrasound gel for the staging of cervical carcinoma on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and to confirm the results with pathological staging.

METHODS

Nine patients were included in the study. T2-weighted images were compared without and with vaginal gel (VG).

RESULTS

Five patients were evaluated as overstaged on MRI without VG. After VG, the results were compatible with the pathological stages in all patients.

CONCLUSIONS

We suggest that this technique is easy, well tolerated, and effective, and it increases the accuracy rate of MRI staging in early cervical cancer.