[The diagnostic value of dual-energy CT and 3 Tesla MRI in the diagnosis of German Mardi Gras donuts--where is the mustard, where is the custard and where is the jam?].
OBJECTIVE
As a Mardi Gras joke, the original jam or custard fillings of German Mardi Gras donuts are frequently replaced with mustard which cannot be identified on the outside of the donut. The aim of our study was to evaluate the impact of modern CT and MRI techniques on the diagnostic evaluation of donuts filled with mustard, jam or custard.


METHODS
4 commercially available donuts were included in the study. One was filled with custard (PK) and one with jam (MK). Two donuts were specifically prepared and filled with Bavarian mustard (SK1) or extra-hot (SK2) mustard. 3 Tesla MRI was performed with T 2- and T 1-weighted STIR, diffusion and susceptibility-weighted (SWI) sequences. In addition, the donuts underwent dual-energy CT.


RESULTS
PK was able to be easily differentiated from the other donuts due to its hyperintensity in the STIR sequences and hypointensity in the T 1-weighted sequences. MK was able to be differentiated from S 1K and S 2K on the basis of its diffusion properties. S 1K demonstrated a pronounced heterogeneity of its matrix, especially in SWI. In CT, PK showed a pronounced hypoattenuation with negative Hounsfield units in contrast to the strongly hyperdense MK, S 1K and S 2K. S 1K and S 2K demonstrated X-ray attenuation considerably dependent on the X-ray energy.


CONCLUSIONS
Donuts filled with jam, custard or mustard can be readily differentiated by modern MRI and CT techniques. Therefore, eating a mustard-filled donut can be reliably avoided.
Morhard
D
D
Institut für klinische Radiologie--Campus Grosshadern, Klinikum der Universität München, Marchioninistrasse 15, Munich. dominik.morhard@med.uni-muenchen.de
Dietrich
O
O
Reiser
M
M
Ertl-Wagner
B
B
D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D036542:Tomography, Spiral Computed