Fig. 3

Two representative cases of pathological T2 tumors which were staged correctly by CTC with MPR but overstaged by MRI. (A, B): Patient in the seventies with pathological T2 lower rectal cancer, 45 mm in size. a Consecutive CTC imaging with MPR, aligned to the tumor axis, revealed a tumor with a smooth extramural layer, which was considered T2 tumor. b Axial T2-weighted MR imaging showed a tumor invading beyond the muscularis propria at right ventral side, which was considered T3 tumor. (C, D): Patient in the seventies with pathological T2 lower rectal cancer, 30 mm in size. c Consecutive CTC imaging with MPR, aligned to the tumor axis, revealed a tumor with a smooth extramural layer, which was considered T2 tumor. d Sagittal T2-weighted MR imaging showed a tumor invading beyond the muscularis propria at left dorsal side, which was considered T3 tumor