Utility of cine MR urography of the urinary tract and comparison with static MR urography.
OBJECTIVE
MR urography using heavily T2-weighted images can depict the urinary tract without the need for contrast medium. However, this technique has potential problems with regard to evaluating the non-dilated ureter. We compared the efficacy of cine MR urography (C-MRU) with static MR urography (S-MRU).


METHODS
Twenty-two patients with suspected upper urinary tract disease underwent C-MRU. The final clinical diagnosis was compared with the diagnosis made using S-MRU and C-MRU, respectively. The sequence used was single-shot fast spin echo with a slice thickness of 50 mm, FOV of 45 cm, and 256x256 matrix. MR urography was obtained sequentially by 6 to 10 repetitions of single-shot scans with intermittent breath holding. S-MRU was used in the initial phase of this sequence, while C-MRU was used for the entire sequence. A final diagnosis was made based on 1) existence of stenosis, 2) rate of certainty of existence of stenosis, 3) etiology of stenosis.


RESULTS
No statistically significant difference was observed between S-MRU and C-MRU, except in certainty of existence of stenosis, where C-MRU (average rate: 2.82 +/- 0.39) was significantly superior to S-MRU (2.41 +/- 0.73).


CONCLUSIONS
C-MRU can improve the certainty of existence of urinary stenosis, and may be useful in excluding suspected stenoses in normal or undilated ureters.
Department of Radiology, Kyorin University School of Medicine, 6-20-2 Shinkawa, Mitaka-shi, Tokyo 181-8611, JAPAN.
Masako
M
Tsubota
Taro
T
Takahara
Toshiaki
T
Nitatori
Junichi
J
Hachiya
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003251:Constriction, Pathologic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D019028:Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Cine; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014513:Ureter / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D014514:Ureteral Calculi / Q000175:diagnosis; D014515:Ureteral Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D014516:Ureteral Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis