Comparison of NMR and CT imaging in the evaluation of metastatic retroperitoneal lymphadenopathy from testicular carcinoma.

Twenty-five patients with nonseminomatous germ cell carcinoma of the testis underwent CT and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) of the retroperitoneum followed by radical retroperitoneal lymph node dissection for surgical proof of metastatic disease. Computed tomography correctly predicted the presence or absence of adenopathy in 88% and assigned the correct stage in 84%. Nuclear magnetic resonance had comparable figures of 84 and 80%. Computed tomography appeared superior to NMR in detecting other abdominal abnormalities, although these were few in number. Nuclear magnetic resonance is nearly equivalent to CT in staging retroperitoneal lymphadenopathy from testicular cancer and may surpass CT following technical advances and the introduction of oral contrast agents.