Musculoskeletal neoplasms: fast low-angle shot MR imaging with and without Gd-DTPA.
In 121 patients, image contrast and contrast-to-noise ratios (C/Ns) obtained with gadolinium diethylene-triaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA)-enhanced and nonenhanced fast low-angle shot (FLASH) sequences were compared with those achieved with spin-echo (SE) sequences. Among FLASH sequences, contrast between neoplasms and muscle was sufficient with a flip angle of 90 degrees following administration of Gd-DTPA but was 61% lower than that with the T2-weighted SE sequence. High contrast levels were obtained between tumors and bone marrow or fat in sclerotic, calcified, and fibrotic lesions with the use of a flip angle of 90 degrees and in lytic lesions with a flip angle of 10 degrees, reaching 66% of the contrast level obtained with the T1-weighted SE sequence. C/N between tumor and surrounding tissue was always significantly lower with FLASH sequences than with the ideal SE sequences usually used for tumor delineation. Thus, a replacement of the T2-weighted SE sequences by FLASH sequences cannot be recommended. A replacement of the T1-weighted SE sequences by FLASH sequences seems possible but does not significantly reduce examination time.
Erlemann
R
R
Department of Clinical Radiology, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität, Münster, Federal Republic of Germany.
Vassallo
P
P
Bongartz
G
G
Müller-Miny
H
H
Rummeny
E
E
Stöber
U
U
Peters
P E
PE
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002648:Child; D003287:Contrast Media; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D009135:Muscular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D004369:Pentetic Acid; D012983:Soft Tissue Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*
D003287:Contrast Media; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D004369:Pentetic Acid; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA