title: Tuberculosis in the abdominal lymph nodes: evaluation with contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) characteristics of abdominal tuberculous lymphadenopathy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-six consecutive patients (20 men, 6 women; mean age 38 ± 14 years) with documented tuberculosis (TB) in the abdominal lymph nodes were recruited  and retrospectively analysed for contour, size, enhancement patterns, signal intensity and anatomic distribution of enlarged lymph nodes, as well as extra-nodal lesions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The main anatomic distribution of lymph node involvement included the lesser omentum (80.8%, 21/26), anterior  pararenal space (96.2%, 25/26), mesentery (34.6%, 9/26) and the upper para-aortic region (73.1%, 19/26), and, exceptionally, the lower para-aortic region (19.2%, 5/26). Contrast-enhanced T1-weighted images demonstrated predominantly peripheral enhancement in 24 cases (92.3%, 24/26), most of  which (80.8%, 21/26) had enlarged lymph nodes with conglomerated multilocular appearance. In 24 peripheral enhancement cases, the contrast-to-noise ratio values were significantly higher for the marginal zones of the enlarged lymph nodes compared to the central zones in each contrast phase  (all P < 0.05); the difference in signal-to-noise ratio between the central and marginal zones was found at the portal venous phase (P = 0.04).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The particular anatomic distribution and peripheral enhancement patterns of contrast-enhanced MRI with quantitative  analysis might be useful in the diagnosis of abdominal tuberculous lymphadenopathy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.forename: Z-G
authors.initials: ZG
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: G-H
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: L-Y
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000005:Abdomen; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014388:Tuberculosis, Lymph Node / Q000175:diagnosis*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media