OBJECTIVETo explore the clinical value of 64-slice spiral 3-phase CT enhanced scanning for preoperative TNM staging assessment of gastric carcinoma.

METHODSA retrospective study was performed to review the 64-slice spiral 3-phase CT enhanced scanning of 120 patients with gastric cancer diagnosed by biopsy prior to operation and postoperative pathological reports. All the findings were reviewed by two senior radiologic diagnosticians separately and compared with pathological findings.

RESULTSThe accuracy of 64-slice spiral CT enhanced scan was 79.2%(95/120) for T staging, 66.7%(10/15) for T1, 66.7%(14/21) for T2, 84.0%(42/50) for T3, and 85.3%(29/34) for T4. For gastric wall with single layer and multiple layers, the accuracy of CT enhanced scanning was 59.4%(19/32) and 81.8%(72/88) for T staging, and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05). The accuracy of 64-slice spiral CT enhanced scan was 73.9%(85/115) for N staging, 75.5%(37/49) for N0, 70.3%(26/37) for N1, 75.9%(22/29) for N2. The accuracy of 64-slice spiral CT enhanced scanning was 89.2% for M staging.

CONCLUSION64-slice spiral CT 3-phase enhanced scanning can monitor the invasion, lymphatic metastasis, and distant metastasis of gastric cancer dynamically, which may become an important examination item for the preoperative evaluation of gastric cancer.