Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging of the adrenal gland: a preliminary report. Academic Article uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) imaging characteristics of the normal and abnormal adrenal gland were evaluated and compared with findings on computed tomography (CT). Forty-two patients were examined: 36 had normal adrenal glands and 6 had adrenal disease (3 metastatic lesions, 1 pheochromocytoma, and 2 cortical hyperplasia). NMR clearly showed all 42 left adrenals (100%) and 36 right adrenals (86%). In some patients, it appeared to differentiate the adrenal cortex from the medulla. The ability of NMR to detect adrenal disease was similar to that of CT in 6 cases examined. CT demonstrated superior spatial resolution in most cases, but NMR provided superior soft-tissue contrast. Since NMR does not involve ionizing radiation and provides excellent soft-tissue differentiation without contrast material, it has advantages over CT and appears to be a promising modality for imaging of the adrenal gland.

publication date

  • April 1, 1983

Research

keywords

  • Adrenal Gland Diseases
  • Adrenal Glands
  • Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

Identity

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1148/radiology.147.1.6828721

PubMed ID

  • 6828721

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 147

issue

  • 1