Diagnostic value of Gd-DTPA for 1.5-T MR imaging of musculoskeletal tumors

This paper compares three MR imaging techniques in the evaluation of musculoskeletal masses: T1-weighted imaging without Gd-DTPA enhancement (T1W-U), T1W imaging with Gd-DTPA (T1W-E) and T2W imaging without Gd-DTPA (T2W-U). Thirty-two consecutive MR studies of 26 patients with musculoskeletal masses were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were imaged with T1W-U, T2W-U, and T1W-E sequences performed on a 1.5-Tesla General Electric Signa system. Diagnosis was established by pathology in 22 cases and clinically in 10. There were 20 tumors (11 benign and nine malignant), two infections, two posttraumatic cases, and two postoperative cases