Magnetic resonance imaging of mediastinal lymphadenopathy

Ten cases with enlarged mediastinal lymph nodes demonstrated at X-ray CT were selected for examination by magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. The number of examined lymph nodes were twenty-eight, and they were evaluated about thier detection on MR images. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging machine was an 0.256T superconductive MR imager (Vista-MR, Picker), and the used pulse sequences were Spin Echo methods, T sub(R) of 400 msec and T sub(E) of 40 msec. The MR images of mediastinal enlarged lymph nodes showed almost the same size as those of X-ray CT, and were delineated with comparative low intensity with surrounding fat tissues of high intensity. All the cases including a mis-diagnosed case by X-ray CT, were clearly detected by the good tissue contrast of MR images. In diagnosis of mediastinal lymphadenopathy, MR imaging is indicated to have the same or superior value as compared with X-ray CT. (author)