title: Abdominal lymphoma staging: is MR imaging with T2-weighted turbo-spin-echo sequence a diagnostic alternative to contrast-enhanced spiral CT?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the diagnostic value of MR imaging in abdominal lymphoma staging, in comparison with that of the established spiral CT, within the context of a prospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  50 patients with non-Hodgkin (n = 27) and Hodgkin lymphoma (n = 23) were examined with a plain T2-weighted TSE sequence (parameters: TE 90 ms, TR >2.500 ms, slice thickness 8 mm, slice interval 0.8 mm, ETL 20, NEX 4), and with spiral CT following oral and intravenous administration of contrast agent.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both CT and MR imaging agreed in showing abdominal lymphomas in 34/50 cases. The size of the detected lymphomas was between 1.5-9 cm (mean: 4.3 +/-2.2 cm). In the analysis of the individual lymph node sites, CT showed involvement of the paraaortic lymph nodes in 29/50 patients, compared with 28/50 in MRI, and involvement of the portal lymph nodes in 15/50, compared with 12/50. Both techniques showed the iliac lymph nodes in 21/50 patients, the inguinal lymph nodes in 10/50, and the mesenteric lymph nodes in 11/50. Both techniques also showed focal organ lesions in 12/50 cases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the staging of abdominal lymphomas, MR imaging with a T2-weighted TSE sequence can be regarded as equal to spiral CT in the detection of lymph adenopathy and the demonstration of focal organ lesions. In addition to the absence of ionizing radiation, the advantage of MR imaging is that there is no necessity for oral or intravenous administration of contrast agent.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Radiology, University of Cologne Medical School, Germany. Jung@med.uni-duesseldorf.de
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Heindel
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: von Bergwelt-Baildon
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bredenfeld
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gossmann
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zähringer
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tesch
mesh_terms: D000008:Abdominal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods; D014283:Triiodobenzoic Acids
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D014283:Triiodobenzoic Acids; C053571:iopentol