Gadolinium-enhanced fat-suppressed T1-weighted imaging for staging ureteral carcinoma: correlation with histopathology.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to retrospectively compare contrast-enhanced fat-suppressed T1-weighted images with histopathologic findings in ureteral carcinoma to develop accurate preoperative MR criteria for T staging.


CONCLUSIONS
Contrast-enhanced fat-suppressed T1-weighted images can be used to distinguish thickened noncarcinomatous ureteral walls, which occur due to the proliferation of fibrous tissue, from ureteral carcinoma because fibrous tissue enhances more intensely on MRI than ureteral carcinoma. We also observed that when ureteral carcinomas had invaded periureteral fat tissue, a disruption or fragmentation of the intensely enhancing ureteral wall was seen. Using the MR criteria for T staging that we developed on the basis of these findings, we were able to accurately determine whether a carcinoma had invaded periureteral fat tissue in all of our patients.
Obuchi
Masao
M
Department of Radiology, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA. m-obuchi@showa-university-fujigaoka.gr.jp
Ishigami
Kousei
K
Takahashi
Koji
K
Honda
Minoru
M
Mitsuya
Toshiyuki
T
Kuehn
David M
DM
Stolpen
Alan H
AH
Brown
Bruce P
BP
Nishie
Akihiro
A
D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000473:pathology*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D014516:Ureteral Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*
D003287:Contrast Media; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA