INDICATIONS FOR APPLICATION OF A HIGH-RES OLUTION COIL IN MR TOMOGRAPHY

This is the first study with high spatial resolution Magnetic Resonanc e Imaging (MRI), performed with a high resolution coil in a clinical w hole-body system. Measurements were recorded with a slice thickness of 2 mm. A 256 x 256 matrix and a 2.5 cm field of view were used resulti ng in a pixel size of 0.01 mm2. MR images of the skin, hand, wrist, kn ee and ankle of 14 healthy volunteers, of three anatomic pathology tis sue specimens and of three formalin-fixed specimens were obtained. Nor mal anatomy was identified and compared with the three gross anatomic pathology sections. The skin, hands, wrists and ankles of 30 patients were examined and a variety of pathological lesions were detected, inc luding cutaneous neoplasms and ulceration, acute and chronic tendon le sions and pathologic features of the bone and wrist. Based on the exce llent imaging of anatomic detail and superior contrast resolution, hig h resolution MRI proved an important complement for preoperative diagn osis.