Contrast behavior between microadenoma and normal pituitary gland after gadolinium injection as a function of time at 1.5 T.
The behavior of contrast enhancement between a microadenoma and the normal pituitary gland after gadolinium injection was evaluated in 12 operatively confirmed cases using a repetitive sequence of four coronal T1-weighted spin echo series (T1 SE) (continuous acquisition, TR = 400 ms), followed by conventional coronal T1 SE (TR = 600 ms) and a three-dimensional fast low-angle shot sequence. The first and second acquisitions were useful with respect to delayed scans only in 3 cases (25%). Nevertheless, in these cases confident diagnosis could also be made on pre-contrast studies, which diminishes the real advantage of this finding. For a 1.5 T MRI unit we advocate starting with coronal T1 SE 30 s after a rapid injection of gadolinium.
Stadnik
T
T
Department of Radiology and Medical Imaging, University Hospital V.U.B., Belgium.
Stevenaert
A
A
Beckers
A
A
Van Herzele
D
D
Luypaert
R
R
Buisseret
T
T
Osteaux
M
M
D000236:Adenoma / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003287:Contrast Media; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006571:Heterocyclic Compounds; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013997:Time Factors
D003287:Contrast Media; D006571:Heterocyclic Compounds; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; C050823:gadolinium 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-N,N',N'',N'''-tetraacetate