Endorectal ultrasonography versus phased-array magnetic resonance imaging for preoperative staging of rectal cancer

Figure 4 A: ERUS shows perirectal fat invasion of the tumor and predicts it as T3; B: MRI demonstrates that the tumor is not invading the mesorectal fatty tissue and is confined to the rectum which is considered as a T2 tumor. The lymph nodes are also present in the mesorectal fatty tissue; C: Operation specimen reveals that the tumor does not extend beyond the muscularis propria; D: Pathology confirms that this is a T2 stage tumor.