MAGNETIC-RESONANCE SCANNING IN CYSTIC-FIBROSIS - COMPARISON WITH COMPUTED-TOMOGRAPHY

Comparison has been made between two different spin-echo sequence MR s cans and CT scans of the lungs in 17 patients with cystic fibrosis. Sc ans were assessed for bronchial dilation, bronchial wall thickening an d mucus plugging, The resolution of MR does not, at present, compare w ith CT. TE7 ms matched with CT for demonstrating the extent of bronchi ectasis whereas TE30 ms scans were inferior to CT. Stronger background lung signal and less artefact was seen on TE7 ms scans compared with TE30 ms scans. MR is a developing technology that does not involve ion izing radiation which, with further refinement, may prove to be useful in imaging lung pathology in cystic fibrosis.