This report describes the magnetic resonance (MR) demonstration of portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In two cases of HCC with PVTT diagnosed by angiography, MR demonstrated PVTT as areas of increased MR signal in the portal vein. Our limited experience suggests the potential utility of MR imaging for diagnosis of PVTT.

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Portosystemic collaterals on MR imaging.

Fourteen patients with various portosystemic collaterals (seven esophageal varices, three paraumbilical veins, two splenorenal shunts, and two mesenteric varices) were imaged with magnetic resonance (MR) imaging using a superconducting imager. Collateral pathways were demonstrated as tortuous structures of no or low signal intensity on spin-echo image, and flow related enhancement did not cause any difficulty in evaluation. Direct sagittal images are especially useful for paraumbilical vein and coronal images for esophageal and mesenteric varix. The clinical role of MR in the assessment of portosystemic collaterals is discussed also in comparison with CT and ultrasound.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

MR imaging of hepatoma treated by embolization.

The magnetic resonance findings of two hepatomas treated by embolization are presented. The T2-weighted spin echo images showed an increase in signal intensity in the tumor after embolization. This phenomenon corresponded to a decrease in tumor density on CT and to necrosis observed histologically. Magnetic resonance also demonstrated gas bubbles as low signal foci within the embolized tumor.

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Fast spin echo imaging with suspended respiration: gadolinium enhanced MR imaging of liver tumors.

Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of 43 patients with hepatic tumor was performed during suspended respiration using a fast scan spin echo (SE) technique (SE 200/40) with a single excitation. The resulting images were superior in terms of image quality to conventional ones. Due to the lack of soft tissue contrast, 38 patients received Gd-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) at 0.05 mmol/kg and serial scanning (CE-MR) was repeated. Twelve of 14 hepatomas showed isointensity or slightly reduced intensity compared with the liver in unenhanced MR. All metastases (nine patients) showed low signal intensity that was statistically significant (p less than 0.001) in differentiating between hepatomas and metastatic liver tumors. With contrast enhanced MR, both hepatomas and metastases showed changes that cannot be further classified until more cases have been examined. In all 12 cavernous hemangioma cases, Gd-DTPA pooling was observed with extremely high contrast, which was a pathognomonic sign. In fact, four cavernous hemangiomas in two patients with a diameter of 1.0 cm were successfully imaged.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

MR study of normal joint function using a low field strength system.

A functional MR study was performed using a 0.064 T permanent magnet MR system. The shoulder joints, elbow joints, hip joints, and knee joints of three volunteers (mean height and weight, 176 cm and 71 kg, respectively) were examined at incremental joint angles in three to eight stages during flexion-extension, abduction-adduction, or pronation-supination movement. Each set of 16 images was obtained in 4 min, 49 s using three-dimensional Fourier transformation methods with gradient echo pulse sequences. The images were evaluated in static mode and sometimes in cine mode. The findings obtained about the physiology of these normal joints was generally compatible with findings previously accumulated in the field of kinesiology. The study suggests that this method can be useful for in vivo study of kinesiology and pathogenesis of diseases and that patients with most types of contracture or deformity can be examined by MR imaging.

Adult↗