MAGNETIC-RESONANCE-IMAGING OF INTRAMUSCULAR HEMANGIOMAS WITH EMPHASISON CONTRAST ENHANCEMENT PATTERNS

Fifteen patients with intramuscular haemangiomas were evaluated with m agnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Phleboliths were demonstrated by plai n films or CT in six cases, which are characteristic for haemangioma. MRI showed intermediate or slightly high signal intensity on T1-weight ed spin-echo images, and overall extremely bright signal on T2-weighte d images, Twelve patients had a heterogeneous signal intensity and ser pentine pattern on all sequences, A draining vessel was identified in a patient with histologically confirmed diagnosis of arteriovenous typ e of hemangioma, In three cases with localized small lesions, the MR a ppearance on T1 and T2-weighted conventional spin-echo sequences was h omogenous, Two of the three showed a serpentine pattern on contrast en hanced images, In a patient with a soft tissue mass suspected of repre senting a haemangioma, MRI may provide more specific information, rega rding the characteristics and extent of the lesion than other imaging techniques. In small localized lesions, contrast enhanced MRI may also offer significant advantage, making the identification of serpentine pattern possible which is a characteristic morphological feature of ha emangioma.