Accuracy of Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Detecting Tumor Depth of Invasion in Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Tongue: A Systematic Review

ObjectiveThe objective of the study was to detect the accuracy of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) in assessing tumor depth of invasion (DOI) in squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the tongue.Material and MethodsThe electronic search of PubMed (including MEDLINE), COCHRANE CENTRAL and Google Scholar search engine for articles published from January 1, 2000, to September 31, 2021, was conducted and also searched the lists of references of relevant articles and reviews for studies involving patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue.ResultsA total of 5362 articles were retrieved in the initial search. After the initial search process, 13 full-text articles were reviewed. Out of these 13 articles, seven met the inclusion criteria and were thus included in this systematic review.ConclusionThe MRI-determined DOI based on T1-weighted sequences increases with increasing T stage. There is the highest correlation between the MRI-derived DOI and the histopathological DOI with increasing T stage. Therefore, MRI provides satisfactory diagnostic accuracy for measuring tumor DOI and, thus, may be considered a predictor of tumor stage.