Magnetic resonance imaging for the diagnosis of intraabdominal cyst in children

The diagnostic value of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging was evaluated in 11 children with intraabdominal cysts and compared with that of ultrasonography (US) and computed tomography (CT). In five children with serous cysts, the cyst content showed low intensity on T1-weighted images and high intensity on T2-weighted images. In three patients with hemorrhagic cysts, the cyst content showed either high intensity on T1- and T2-weighted images or marked low intensity (shading pattern) on T2-weighted images. Characteristic findings of MR imaging were obtained in cases of cyst with abscess, capsular formation, or adipose tissue. Detailed information on the content and capsulation of cysts could not be obtained by US or CT scans. Therefore, MR imaging seemed to be more useful for the diagnosis of intraabdominal cyst in children. (author)