Reliability of MDCT, with MPR and hydro-CT technique, in resectability and lymphnode staging of gastric cancer.

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the reliability of thin-slice hydro-multidetector row computed tomography (MDCT) in assessing resectability and lymph node staging of gastric cancer.

Methods: Sixty-one patients (37 males, 24 females; mean age 61 years) with gastric cancer, and whose surgery was planned, underwent preoperative abdominopelvic hydro-MDCT at slice thickness of 5 mm. We evaluated the tumor stage, depth of tumor invasion into the gastric wall, metastasis of lymph node, and presence/absence of distant metastases on the CT images produced with multiplanar reconstruction (MPR) and hydro-CT technique.