S. Elgammal et al., IMPROVED RESOLUTION OF MAGNETIC-RESONANCE MICROSCOPY IN EXAMINATION OF SKIN TUMORS, Journal of investigative dermatology, 106(6), 1996, pp. 1287-1292
Magnetic resonance imaging has become increasingly important for visua
lization and tissue differentiation of internal organs, Because of lim
ited resolution, investigation of skin has been of little diagnostic v
alue so far. We combined a homogeneous magnetic held of 9.4 T, as used
in magnetic resonance spectroscopy, with gradient fields of 11.7 G/cm
and an imaging unit to obtain a voxel resolution of 40 x 40 x 300 mu
m(3). With this magnetic resonance microscopy unit, we studied normal
skin, 12 nevocellular nevi, 20 basal cell carcinomas, 8 melanomas, and
8 seborrheic keratoses after excision in vitro, The specimens were vi
sualized in spin-echo images. The proton relaxation times T1 and T2 we
re determined for the different skin layers and tumor tissues, interpr
etation of the spin-echo images was based on comparison with the corre
lating histology, Epidermis, dermis, subcutaneous tissue, and hair fol
licle complexes could be distinguished, Stratum corneum and hairs emit
ted no signal, All tumors presented as distinct, signal-rich, homogene
ous structures within the dark, signal-poor dermis, Their shape corres
ponded to their outline in the histologic sections, Buds of superficia
l basal cell carcinomas could be resolved, The proton relaxation times
T1 and T2 were significantly different among all skin layers and tumo
rs, Our results demonstrate that with sufficient resolution, different
iation of skin tumors is possible using magnetic resonance imaging.