Magnetic resonance imaging of the lymph nodes: comparison with CT.

Abstract

This retrospective study of 144 patients was made to assess the potential of magnetic resonance (MR) for demonstrating lymph nodes using spin-echo technique, compare the MR results with those of CT [computed tomography], and determine the optimal pulse-sequence interval (TR) and echo-delay time (TE) for imaging lymph nodes. The reported CT findings on normal lymph nodes were compared with MR findings in 60 patients who underwent MR imaging of the neck (20 patients), chest (20 patients), abdomen (10 patients) and pelvis (10 patients) for conditions other than lymph node disease. CT is presently better than MR for imaging neck and abdominal lymph nodes less than 13 mm in diameter. The ability of MR to demonstrate normal-size (< 10 mm) lymph nodes in the chest was comparable to that of CT. In addition, MR scans of 84 patients with proven abnormal lymph node (8 neck, 49 chest, and 27 abdomen and pelvis) were assesed: in 72 patients, these nodes had also been imaged by CT. MR and CT gave similar results with abnormal lymph nodes (> 13 or 15 mm), but MR displayed these nodes better because of its excellent soft-tissue contrast resolution. MR can clearly differentiate abnormal lymph nodes from normal fat, muscle, vessels, adult thymus, thyroid, and diaphragmatic crura, as well as from primary tumor and lymphoceles. Optimal demonstration of lymph nodes with MR requires 2 sequences: 1 with a short TR and 1 with a long TR and long TE. MR holds great promise for the demonstration of lymph nodes in every part of the body.