MR-IMAGING OF TUBERCULOUS ARTHRITIS - CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES

Signal-intensity characteristics of magnetic resonance (MR) images wer e assessed in five patients and in 10 rabbits with tuberculous arthrit is. MR imaging findings were compared with histologic findings in the animal study, In both of clinical and experimental cases, tuberculous lesions showed both intermediate and high signal intensity on Ta-weigh ted images, while they showed heterogeneously intermediate signal inte nsity on T1-weighted images. As TP-weighted images were compared with pathologic specimens, intermediate signal intensity corresponded to ca seous necrosis, whereas high signal intensity related to granulomas or effusion, Postcontrast T1-weighted images showed enhancement at the p eripheries rather than the centers of tuberculous lesions, These resul ts indicate that tuberculous arthritis should be included in the diffe rential diagnosis when intra-articular lesions with low or intermediat e signal intensity are found on T1-weighted images.