Whole-body MRI for metastases screening: a preliminary study using 3D VIBE sequences with automatic subtraction between noncontrast and contrast enhanced images.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate 3D Volumetric Interpolated Breath-hold Examination (VIBE) whole-body MRI (WB-MRI) acquisition for the metastases staging.


METHODS
Thirty-two consecutive patients with solid tumor were examined from head to feet before and after contrast injection. An automatic subtraction occurred between the 2 series of images. WB-MRI was compared with conventional staging techniques (CT, scintigraphy, brain MRI, and whole-body PET in 4 cases).


RESULTS
WB-MRI and the reference techniques depicted metastases in 25 patients. WB-MRI depicted more bone lesions in the spine, pelvis, skull, femur, and tibia, whereas scintigraphy detected more rib lesions. WB-MRI depicted 27 cerebral metastases, whereas brain MRI depicted 40 cerebral metastases. WB-MRI depicted a total of 8 hepatic metastases, 8 adrenal lesions, and conventional staging 7 hepatic metastases and 10 adrenal lesions. WB-MRI examination depicted lung metastases in 10 patients, and CT examination in 13 patients.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study indicate that WB-MRI is a feasible and promising technique for tumor staging.
Service de Radiologie, Hôpital de la Croix-Rousse, Lyon, France. vivien.thomson@chu-lyon.fr
Vivien
V
Thomson
Jean-Baptiste
JB
Pialat
Frédéric
F
Gay
Agnès
A
Coulon
Alain
A
Voloch
Anne
A
Granier
Jean-Claude
JC
Guérin
Magalie
M
Viallon
Yves
Y
Berthezene
D000310:Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000556:secondary; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000556:secondary; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000556:secondary; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000556:secondary; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000556:secondary; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000556:secondary; D013382:Subtraction Technique; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis; D051598:Whole Body Imaging