MRI as an useful diagnostic tool in bone and soft tissue tumors

To determine the role of MRI in the diagnosis of bone and soft tissue tumors, the usefulness and limits of MRI were examined in 48 patients with bone and soft tissue tumors, including metastatic bone tumors. Metastatic vertebral tumors that were not detected on plain and conventional tomography were delineated on MRI. MRI was also helpful in the qualitative diagnosis of cystic lesions including solitary bone cyst; however, it was of limited value in the differentiation between benign and malignant tumors. The degree of involvement to the surrounding soft tissue was preoperatively determined on MRI, being helpful for surgical planning. Especially for sacral tumor, MRI was capable of determinig the extent of removal in coronal tomography. FLASH method allowed more definitive detection of the relationship between spinal cord and lesions in vertebral or spinal cord tumors. Because of its short scanning time, it also removed artifacts on MRI and relieved patient load. (N.K.)