Radiology, Vol 203, 377-382, Copyright © 1997 by Radiological Society of North America
Uterine neoplasms: magnetization transfer analysis of MR images
S Kobayashi, K Takeda, H Sakuma, Y Kinosada and T Nakagawa
Department of Radiology, Mie University School of Medicine, Tsu, Japan.
PURPOSE: To determine whether the magnetization transfer effects seen at
fast spin-echo (SE) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging provide additional
information in the diagnosis of uterine neoplasms. MATERIALS AND METHODS:
MR images were obtained in 58 subjects with a normal uterus, 27 patients
with cervical carcinoma (17 before therapy; 10 after irradiation), 10 with
endometrial carcinoma, and five with endometrial hyperplasia. The
magnetization transfer ratios (MTRs) were calculated by measuring the
signal intensity on the central section of multisection fast SE images (15
sections) and that on a single-section fast SE image (5,000/136 [repetition
time msec/echo time msec]). The additional imaging time required for MTR
measurement was 4 minutes. RESULTS: Conspicuity of lesions and normal zonal
anatomy was improved with single-section fast SE. The mean MTR in untreated
cervical carcinoma (37.6% +/- 4.2 [standard deviation]) showed a
statistically significant increase relative to that in irradiated cervical
carcinoma (24.5% +/- 5.1, P < .01), normal cervical stroma (23.8% +/-
6.7, P < .01), or normal endocervix (24.2% +/- 7.3, P < .01). The
mean MTR in endometrial carcinoma (34.5% +/- 3.6) was significantly higher
than that in endometrial hyperplasia (25.5% +/- 1.5, P < .01) or normal
endometrium (24.3% +/- 3.6, P < .01). CONCLUSION: Single-section fast SE
imaging provides better lesion contrast than multisection fast SE imaging
and enables quantification of the MTRs in uterine neoplasms.
