Thirty patients with uterine cervical carcinoma underwent computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, and surgical exploration. MR imaging was superior to CT in visualization of the tumor. MR imaging had an accuracy of 77% in the assessment of thickness of cervical stromal invasion. The accuracy rates of these modalities for parametrial evaluation were 78% for clinical evaluation, 70% for CT, and 92% for MR imaging. The overall accuracy rates for tumor staging were 70% for clinical evaluation, 63% for CT, and 83% for MR imaging. MR imaging is superior to clinical evaluation and CT in parametrial evaluation and the staging of uterine cervical carcinoma.