[Demonstration of the architecture of the tracheobronchial wall by MR imaging: an experimental study]

To study the potential of MRI to demonstrate the architecture of the tracheobronchial wall, resected tracheobronchi of rabbits were examined with MRI. As a result, epithelium and cartilage were demonstrated as relatively low intensity bands on T1- and T2-weighted images (T1WI and T2WI). The subepithelium was of intermediate-high intensity on T1WI and of markedly high intensity on T2WI and Gd-DTPA enhanced T1WI. Peritracheobronchial fat was of markedly high intensity on T1WI and of relatively low intensity on T2WI. In conclusion, MRI was found to have the potential to demonstrate the architecture of the tracheobronchial wall as 4 layers on each sequence.