Johannes M. Froehlich1, Benedikt Rckriem1,
Maria Triantafyllou1, Frederic D. Birkhaeuser2, Michael
von Gunten3, Peter Vermathen4, Harriet C. Thoeny1
1Institute of Diagnostic,
Interventional and Pediatric Radiology, University Hospital, Bern,
Switzerland; 2Department of Urology, University Hospital, Bern,
Switzerland; 3Institute of Pathology, University Hospital, Bern,
Switzerland; 4Department of Clinical Research, University
Hospital, Bern, Switzerland
Methodologically
the staging of lymph nodes based on uptake of USPIO is judged on a
qualitative level analyzing signal decrease and distribution on
T2/T2*-weighted sequences. Quantification of SI/SNR-decrease in 320 lymph
nodes comprising 20 malignant lymph nodes, 57 benign inguinal and 243 benign
iliacal lymph nodes revealed significant differences (p<0.05) when
comparing benign with malignant lymph nodes. Contrary to iliacal lymph nodes
(24.8% 54.6%) inguinal ones presented limited SNR decrease (3.4% 55.4%).
Substantial overlap of single data, limit the diagnostic potential of
quantification. In practice morphological criteria, fatty content and
localization of lymph nodes must be considered.