Focal renal masses: Magnetic resonance imaging

P. L. Choyke, H. Y. Kressel, H. M. Pollack, P. M. Arger, L. Axel, A. C. Mamourian

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

52 Scopus citations

Abstract

Thirty patients with focal renal masses were evaluated on a .12-Tesla resistive magnetic resonance unit using partial saturation and spin echo pulse sequences. A short repetition time (TR = 143 ms) was employed for partial saturation images and a spin echo was present in each case (TE = 10 ms). Additional pulse sequences through regions of interest were also obtained. Fifteen patients had cystic lesions, 9 patients had renal cell carcinoma, 2 had metastatic lesions, 1 had an angiomyolipoma, and 3 had focal bacterial infection. Cystic lesions were well circumscribed and demonstrated a range of signal intensities. Small intraparenchymal cysts were difficult to identify. Renal cell carcinomas demonstrated areas of increased signal using a partial saturation sequence (TR = 143-415 ms, TE = 10 ms). Magnetic resonance imaging accurately detected perinephric extension and vascular invasion in all patients. Metastatic disease to the kidney was uniformly low in signal, in contrast to primary renal cell carcinoma; an angiomyolipoma demonstrated very high signal intensity. Two masses resulting from acute focal bacterial nephritis were uniformly low in signal. One additional case of a more indolent pyelonephritis demonstrated high signal in regions of replacement lipomatosis and low signal in sites of active infection. Magnetic resonance imaging appears to be an accurate way of detecting, identifying, and staging focal renal masses.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)471-477
Number of pages7
JournalRadiology
Volume152
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - 1984

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Radiology Nuclear Medicine and imaging

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