title: MR imaging of pelvic lymph nodes in primary pelvic carcinoma with ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide (Combidex): preliminary observations.
abstract: The potential of ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide (Combidex)-enhanced MRI of pelvic lymph nodes in patients with primary pelvic carcinoma is evaluated. Fifteen histologically classified lymph nodes in six patients with known primary pelvic cancer (four prostate; one rectum; one uterus) were evaluated with T2-weighted fast spin-echo (FSE) and T2*-weighted gradient-echo (GRE) MRI at 1.5T 12 to 48 hours after intravenous administration of Combidex at a dose of 1.7 mg Fe/kg. Quantitative image evaluation was performed by comparing signal intensity of individual nodes on pre- and postcontrast images. All patients proceeded to pelvic lymph-node biopsy or surgical dissection, where six were found to be benign and nine were malignant. Of the 15 lymph nodes, four nodes showed a decrease in signal intensity. Of these, three, in which signal loss was homogenous were benign, and one, in which the signal-intensity decrease was heterogeneous, was malignant (micrometastases). No signal change was noted in 11 of 15 lymph nodes of which three were benign (inflammatory) and eight were malignant. Combidex is a promising MR contrast agent for evaluating pelvic lymph nodes. Our preliminary observations suggest that the agent is most useful for classifying normal lymph nodes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston 02114, USA.
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Harisinghani
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saini
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Slater
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Schnall
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Rifkin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005290:Ferric Compounds; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010316:Particle Size; D010386:Pelvic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D010388:Pelvis; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D005290:Ferric Compounds; C000499:ferric oxide