Purpose: To assess the feasibility of MR-guided soft tissue core biopsies o
n an open 0.23 T magnet.
Material and Methods: Twenty-nine consecutive patients with known or suspec
ted benign or malignant soft tissue tumours underwent MR imaging. A one-sli
ce dynamic enhancement sequence was used to obtain an enhancement curve of
the tumour. MR-guided core biopsy of the tumour was performed in the same s
ession.
Results: All biopsies could be performed on an open 0.23 T magnet. Standard
MR images and dynamic enhancement curves were used in deciding biopsy rout
e and target. The MR-guided core biopsy specimens were sufficient for histo
pathological diagnosis in 27 of 29 cases.
Conclusion. Open magnet configuration allows easy access to the patient and
near real-time imaging guidance of soft tissue tumours. Minimally invasive
MR-guided core biopsies of soft tissue tumours are feasible and help to av
oid open surgical biopsies.