A prospective study to assess the usefulness of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in the evaluation of endometrial carcinoma was undertaken by five institutions under the auspices of the National Cancer Institute. Six different MR imagers were used, ranging in magnetic field strength from 0.15 T to 1.5 T. For each unit, appropriate T1- and T2-weighted sequences in the transverse plane and T2-weighted sequences in the sagittal plane were used. Initially, 107 patients were entered in the study, but only 88 fulfilled all the criteria and provide the basis for this study. The abnormality within the endometrial cavity was demonstrated with MR imaging in 81% of the patients. The overall accuracy with MR imaging for staging endometrial carcinoma was 85%. In the evaluation of depth of myometrial invasion for stage I disease, overall accuracy with MR imaging was 74%. The accuracy of MR imaging in assessing tumors confined to endometrium or tumor with superficial myometrial invasion was 89% and decreased to 54% in assessing deep myometrial invasion. The results of this prospective study performed by multiple examiners with vastly different equipment demonstrate the inherent value of MR imaging in the evaluation of this neoplasm.

No abstract

We report qualitative and quantitative evaluation and verification studies of the bipolar phase gradient modulation method for true MR imaging of internal flow and motion velocities. Velocity encoding modulations provide speed-of-motion and direction-sensitive images using special phase-sensitive reconstructions. True motion MR imaging does not depend upon subject parameters, T1 or T2, nor upon selective active-volume time-of-flight calculations, nor is it limited strictly to fluid-flow velocities. Conventional MR sequences often induce strong accidental phase gradient modulations that can cause severe artifacts in conventional MR scans and limit the useful sensitivities of true motion MR. Multiple steps of velocity encoding allow resolution of separate elements of the velocity spectrum, and enable suppression of all such phase-artifact difficulties. Some view-to-view phase inconsistencies are intrinsic to the subject being scanned, e.g., strong motion variations during the heart cycle; limitations due to such effects require external modifications in the scanning, such as cardiac gating. Since conventional density information remains in the data, independent of velocity encoding modulations, we suggest a multiple encoding sequence and saving the MR raw data. These evaluations and verifications demonstrate exciting potential in clinical application for the phase gradient modulation method of true flow and motion MR imaging.

No abstract

Computed tomography (CT) easily and accurately demonstrates both the normal and abnormal adrenal gland. The normal adrenal gland can be seen in almost 95% of patients. With this technique, 29 of 29 proved adrenal masses were demonstrated; one case of bilateral adrenal hyperplasia could not be recognized, another showed equivocal enlargement. CT is an excellent screening and often definitive radiologic test of evaluating the adrenal gland.