Characterization of the normal and hyperplastic thymus on chemical-shift MR imaging.

OBJECTIVE We designed our study to prospectively assess a potential role for chemical-shift MR imaging in identifying a thymus that has not been completely replaced by fat tissue. CONCLUSION The thymic tissue revealed homogeneous decrease in intensity on opposed-phase MR images relative to that seen on in-phase images in 15 healthy volunteers and two patients with hyperplastic thymus. Chemical-shift MR imaging may be useful in identifying normal thymic tissue and the hyperplastic thymus in early adulthood.

[1]  E. Nitzsche,et al.  Increased metabolic activity in the thymus gland studied with 18F-FDG PET: age dependency and frequency after chemotherapy. , 2001, Journal of nuclear medicine : official publication, Society of Nuclear Medicine.

[2]  L. Quint,et al.  Adrenal adenomas: relationship between histologic lipid and CT and MR findings. , 1996, Radiology.

[3]  N. Müller,et al.  Thymus in myasthenia gravis: comparison of CT and pathologic findings and clinical outcome after thymectomy. , 1996, Radiology.

[4]  S. Nadel,et al.  CT Appearances of the Normal and Abnormal Thymus in Childhood , 1987, Journal of computer assisted tomography.

[5]  S S Sagel,et al.  Computed tomography of the normal thymus. , 1982, Radiology.

[6]  M. Kaminski,et al.  Imaging of lymphoma with PET with 2-[F-18]-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose: correlation with CT. , 1994, Radiology.

[7]  W. Webb,et al.  Normal thymus: assessment with MR and CT. , 1986, Radiology.

[8]  F. Bookstein,et al.  The thymus: reexamination of age-related changes in size and shape. , 1985, AJR. American journal of roentgenology.

[9]  J. Wiener,et al.  Normal and abnormal thymus in childhood: MR imaging. , 1989, Radiology.

[10]  P. Silverman,et al.  Age-related changes in the thymus gland: CT-pathologic correlation. , 1983, AJR. American journal of roentgenology.

[11]  N. Nishiumi,et al.  FDG uptake in the morphologically normal thymus: comparison of FDG positron emission tomography and CT. , 2001, The British journal of radiology.

[12]  A. Brunetti,et al.  Morphological imaging of thymic disorders. , 1999, Annals of medicine.