Low-field STIR imaging of lymphoma

Short-inversion time inversion recovery (STIR) sequences improve detection of both lymphadenopathy and marrow tumor with MR imaging in patients with lymphoma. MR imaging of 92 consecutive patients with a clinical diagnosis of lymphoma was performed at 0.15 T; all had T1 spin-echo and STIR images, and most had current CT studies. Lymphadenopathy was detected with STIR by both size and signal intensity. Marrow tumor, mostly focal, was detected in 28 patients. STIR depicted nodes not seen on CT or T1 spin-echo images due to the very high conspicuity of tumor-involved nodes in a dark background of STIR suppressed fat. Therapeutic response and recurrence were detected by changes in tumor volume and signal. Chest wall invasion was substantially better seen with STIR than with CT. MR imaging with STIR has the potential to become the imaging modality of choice for staging lymphoma