title: Characterization of the normal and hyperplastic thymus on chemical-shift MR imaging.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Asahikawa Medical College, 2-1-1-1 Midorigaoka-higashi, Asahikawa 078-8510, Japan.
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Tsutomu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Inaoka
authors.forename: Noboru
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Murakami
authors.forename: Hatsune
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hirota
authors.forename: Kunihiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Iwata
authors.forename: Kenichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nagasawa
authors.forename: Tomonori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mineta
authors.forename: Tamio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Aburano
mesh_terms: 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*