[The preliminary study of the use of MRI navigation in identifying the safe surgical margin of the maxillofacial malignancy].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the feasibility of MRI navigation in identifing the safe surgical margin of the maxillofacial malignancy. METHODS: The pathology results of the surgical margin identified by the technique of MRI navigation form 20 patients with maxillofacial malignancy were compared with those of 45 patients with maxillofacial malignancy who underwent the routine operation without MRI navigation. RESULTS: There was no difference between the two groups of patients in age, sex, size of tumor, tumor stages, pathologic diagnosis (P > 0.05). The negative rate of the surgical margin of the lesions treated by surgery with the technique of MRI navigation was significantly lower than that of the lesions treated without MRI navigation (P = 0.007) and highly correspondent with the pathology results. CONCLUSIONS: MRI navigation was helpful in identifying the safe surgical margin of the maxillofacial malignancy.