Open AccessLow field strength magnetic resonance imaging of the spleen: results from volunteers and patients with lymphoma
Author(s) -
M. A. Richards,
Judith A. W. Webb,
S. E. Jewell,
A. G. Stansfeld,
T. A. Lister,
P. F. M. Wrigley
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
british journal of cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.833
H-Index - 236
eISSN - 1532-1827
pISSN - 0007-0920
DOI - 10.1038/bjc.1988.92
Subject(s) - spleen , magnetic resonance imaging , medicine , lymphoma , nuclear medicine , pathology , spin–lattice relaxation , nuclear magnetic resonance , radiology , physics , nuclear quadrupole resonance
Low field strength (0.08 Tesla) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the spleen with spin lattice relaxation time (T1) measurement was performed on a total of 79 healthy volunteers and 62 patients with lymphoma. Inhomogeneity was observed on the T1 images of the spleen from 25 volunteers. This was therefore considered a normal variant. The normal range of spleen T1 at 0.08 Tesla was established (362-420 msec). No influence of age on spleen T1 was detected. The range of T1 values observed in males and females was similar, although the mean spleen T1 for females was significantly longer than that for males. The sensitivity of T1 measurement for the detection of lymphoma in the spleen was poor, particularly for patients with Hodgkin's disease. In a minority of untreated patients, however, a spleen T1 value outside the normal range may indicate the presence of lymphoma in the spleen. A significant decrease in spleen T1 following treatment was observed in 9 patients who underwent serial scanning.