MRT OF THE FEMALE PELVIS - A COMPARISON O F TURBO-SPIN ECHO (TSE) SEQUENCES AND CONVENTIONAL SPIN-ECHO (SE) SEQUENCES AT 0.5 TESLA

Markedly T2 weighted MR images of the pelvis can be obtained with TSE sequences using short acquisition times. In order to determine whether TSE sequences at 0.5 Tesla produce diagnostically valuable images, 9 normals and 53 patients with suspected gynaecological tumours were exa mined with TSE and SE sequences. Visual comparison showed a considerab le superiority of the TSE sequences in most respects. The quality of t he TSE images was regarded as very good in 82 % and good in 18 % (SE s equences: 27 % very good, 55 % good, 18 % moderate), delineation of an atomical structures 81 % very good and 19 % good (SE sequence: 31 % ve ry good, 53 % good, 16 % moderate). TSE sequences were also superior i n the detection of pathological changes (87 % very good, 13 % good) co mpared with SE sequences (56 % very good, 37 % good, 7 % moderate). Ve nous plexuses in the parametrium were better demonstrated by SE sequen ces. There were significantly higher signal to noise ratios (SNR) with TSE sequences for fat, bone marrow (each p < 0.001), and urine (p < 0 .05). Using muscle as reference tissue, there were significantly highe r signal-difference to noise ratios (SDR) for fat (p < 0.001), and bon e marrow (p < 0.0001), the other pelvic organs and tumours showed no s ignificant differences between the SNR and SDR. TSE sequences are well suited to replace SE sequences in the