MR-IMAGING OF THE UTERUS - FINDINGS FROM HIGH-RESOLUTION MULTISECTIONDYNAMIC IMAGING WITH A SURFACE COIL

MR imaging of the female pelvis with a local coil (multiple phased arr ay coils) has been reported [1]. With this method, the signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) is improved so that high-resolution images can be obtaine d. Dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging has been reported to be useful in diagnosing uterine neoplasms. However, dynamic MR imaging is done in only limited imaging planes [2, 3]. When multisection dynamic MR im aging with fast gradient-echo sequences [4] is combined with the use o f a local coil, high resolution images can be obtained throughout the entire uterus during a single breath hold. This pictorial essay illust rates the appearance of the normal uterus and malignant uterine neopla sms on high-resolution multisection dynamic MR images obtained with a Helmholtz-type surface coil [5].