D. Vanel et al., MR-IMAGING IN THE FOLLOW-UP OF MALIGNANT AND AGGRESSIVE SOFT-TISSUE TUMORS - RESULTS OF 511 EXAMINATIONS, Radiology, 190(1), 1994, pp. 263-268
PURPOSE: To present magnetic resonance (MR) imaging findings from 511
follow-up examinations of aggressive soft-tissue tumors. MATERIALS AND
METHODS: One hundred eighty-two patients with aggressive soft-tissue
tumors underwent postoperative T1- and T2-weighted imaging; 41 also un
derwent 51 gadolinium-enhanced T1-weighted examinations, and five unde
rwent dynamic gadolinium-enhanced sub-traction imaging. RESULTS: Twent
y-four of 25 patients (101 of 102 examinations) without high signal in
tensity (HSI) at T2-weighted imaging had no recurrence. Among 79 patie
nts (321 examinations) who demonstrated HSI without a mass, only two t
umors recurred within 1 year. An HSI mass was found in 88 studies of 7
8 patients and represented recurrence (n = 60), hygroma (n = 24), or a
radiation-induced pseudomass (n = 4). Hygromas did not enhance, while
recurrences enhanced at 1-3 minutes and postirradiation change enhanc
ed at 4-7 minutes. CONCLUSION: T2-weighted imaging can be used to iden
tify possible recurrence of aggressive soft-tissue tumors, while gadol
inium-enhanced imaging can be used to differentiate recurrences from h
ygromas and inflammatory change.