Characterization of the normal and hyperplastic thymus on chemical-shift MR imaging.
OBJECTIVE
We designed our study to prospectively assess a potential role for chemical-shift MR imaging in identifying a thymus that has not been completely replaced by fat tissue.


CONCLUSIONS
The thymic tissue revealed homogeneous decrease in intensity on opposed-phase MR images relative to that seen on in-phase images in 15 healthy volunteers and two patients with hyperplastic thymus. Chemical-shift MR imaging may be useful in identifying normal thymic tissue and the hyperplastic thymus in early adulthood.
Takahashi
Koji
K
Department of Radiology, Asahikawa Medical College, 2-1-1-1 Midorigaoka-higashi, Asahikawa 078-8510, Japan.
Inaoka
Tsutomu
T
Murakami
Noboru
N
Hirota
Hatsune
H
Iwata
Kunihiro
K
Nagasawa
Kenichi
K
Yamada
Tomonori
T
Mineta
Masayuki
M
Aburano
Tamio
T
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D013952:Thymus Hyperplasia / Q000473:pathology*