RESUMEN
The accurate staging of patients prior to embarking on treatment for squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck is essential. The aim of this prospective study is to compare the diagnostic accuracy of computed tomography [CT] and magnetic resonance imaging [MRI] in tumor staging of squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity. The value of magnetic resonance imaging [MRI] and computerized tomography [CT] in preoperative tumor T-staging was assessed prospectively in 24 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity. In each case, the MRI and CT findings were compared with post-operative histopathologic staging. The results of this study reveled that there were no statistical significance difference regarding tumor detection [although MRI was better than CT], bone invasion, lymph node involvement, and breaking down of the lesion [P>0.05]. MRI was better than CT regarding soft tissue extension and tumor margin detection and there were a high statistical significance difference [P<0.05]. For tumor staging, MR scanning is overall more accurate than CT. 90% of the cases were correctly staged with pathological findings compared to 80% on CT examination. Conclusion: If degraded images and Tl tumors are excluded, the techniques are comparable. MRI should also be used instead of CT when dental fillings obscure the region of interest. If there are good MRI facilities and an experienced team available, MRI can be used before CT. The ability of MRI to give an axial, coronal, and sagittal image allows an exact pre-operative view of tumor spread and assessment of infiltration into adjacent structures. MRI was superior to CT in soft tissue extension and tumor margin detection