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Adrenal tissue characterization with 0.5‐T MR imaging: Value of T2*‐weighted images
Author(s) -
Ichikawa Tomoaki,
Fujimoto Hajime,
Murakami Koji,
Tauchi Mikio,
Mochizuki Shigeru,
Ohtomo Kuni,
Uchiyama Guio
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
journal of magnetic resonance imaging
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.563
H-Index - 160
eISSN - 1522-2586
pISSN - 1053-1807
DOI - 10.1002/jmri.1880030509
Subject(s) - t2 weighted , magnetic resonance imaging , medicine , adrenal gland , adrenal adenoma , nuclear medicine , radiology , adenoma , pathology
The authors investigated the value of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging at 0.5 T for distinguishing adrenal adenomas from adrenal metastases. The series included 23 adrenal adenomas (18 nonhyperfunctioning, five hyperfunctioning) and 23 adrenal metastases from various organs. Adrenal tumor–liver signal intensity ratios on T1‐, T2‐, and T2*‐weighted images were calculated for adrenal tissue characterization. Adrenal adenomas were more precisely distinguished from adrenal metastases on T2*‐weighted images (21 of 23, 91%) than on T2‐weighted images (15 of 23, 65%). T1‐weighted images were not useful for this distinction. In conclusion, T2*‐weighted images were better than routine T2‐weighted images for distinguishing adrenal adenomas from adrenal metastases. It can be postulated that the total signal intensity of adrenal adenomas, which contain some fat components, decreased on T2*‐weighted images because of an out‐of‐phase effect.