title: Staging of urinary bladder neoplasms with MR imaging: is Gd-DTPA helpful?
abstract: This study was performed to investigate whether intravenous administration of Gd-DTPA can improve the accuracy of MR imaging in the detection and staging of bladder neoplasms. In 68 patients with suspected urinary bladder neoplasms, MR examinations were performed with T1-weighted SE sequences before and after intravenous administration of Gd-DTPA. The findings were compared with surgical staging using the TNM classification. Overall staging accuracy of contrast enhanced MR was 46%; if stages Ta-T3a were combined into one group, the accuracy was 69%. Accuracy was low (19%) in tumors without muscular bladder wall invasion (Ta). In cases with extravesical spread (greater than or equal to T3b), the accuracy of staging was 87%. Contrast enhanced MR detected extravesical extension of tumor with a sensitivity of 93% and a specificity of 95%. Contrast enhancement increased the sensitivity for detection of urinary bladder neoplasms from 70% on precontrast T1-weighted scans to 79% on postcontrast scans. In comparison with T2-weighted scans, the Gd-DTPA enhanced T1-weighted scans had better image quality and lower acquisition times.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Radiology, University of Aachen Medical Faculty, F.R.G.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Neuerburg
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bohndorf
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sohn
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Teufl
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Günther
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002278:Carcinoma in Situ / Q000473:pathology; D003287:Contrast Media; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D004369:Pentetic Acid; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D004369:Pentetic Acid; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA