title: The utility of contrast-enhanced MRI in diagnosis of muscle injuries occult to conventional MRI.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Our goal was to define the utility of contrast-enhanced MRI in the diagnosis of occult muscle injuries on T2 and STIR sequences.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively reviewed the pre- and postcontrast MR studies of four professional athletes with a clinical diagnosis of suspected muscle injuries.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The four cases demonstrated muscle strain injuries not visualized on the conventional T2 and STIR sequences but visualized on the postcontrast MR studies as areas of localized enhancement.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We recommend the intravenous administration of gadolinium in the setting of clinically suspected muscle injuries not visualized on T2 and STIR sequences.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA.
authors.forename: K I
authors.initials: KI
authors.lastname: el-Noueam
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Schweitzer
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bhatia
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Bartolozzi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003287:Contrast Media; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000293:injuries*; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media