MRI Evaluation of cooperative and non-cooperative patients with non-traumatic acute abdominal pain - preliminary observations.
OBJECTIVE
To compare diagnostic performance of two MRI protocols, motion resistant and conventional breath-hold, in patients with acute abdominal pain.


METHODS
Thirty-five patients unable to breath-hold underwent a motion-resistant protocol (Radial group). Twenty-seven patients able to breath-hold underwent conventional protocol. The diagnostic performance of MRI was calculated. Cartesian and radial 3D-GRE sequences were compared.


RESULTS
In Radial group, diagnosis was correct in 31/35 patients (88.5%), with sensitivity and specificity of 85.7% and 87.5%. In Cartesian group, diagnosis was correct in 24/27 patients (88.9%), with sensitivity and specificity of 93.7% and 81.8%.


CONCLUSIONS
MRI appeared moderately successful for non-cooperative patients presenting with acute abdominal pain, with comparable accuracy to the standard breath-hold protocol.
Department of Radiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
Miguel
M
Ramalho
Department of Radiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
Inul
I
Hithaya
Department of Radiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
Mamdoh
M
AlObaidy
Department of Radiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
Janaka
J
Kalubowila
Department of Radiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
Yong Hwan
YH
Jeon
Department of Radiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
Sriluxayini
S
Manikkavasakar
Department of Radiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA. Electronic address: richsem@med.unc.edu.
Richard C
RC
Semelka
D000005:Abdomen / Q000473:pathology*; D000006:Abdomen, Acute / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D062485:Breath Holding; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009038:Motion; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D055815:Young Adult
Abdominal Pain; Breath-hold; Free-breathing; MRI; Radial 3D-GRE