[Depiction of the normal adrenal gland evaluation with 0.5 tesla MRI]

MR studies of the abdomen in 128 patients were reviewed in order to evaluate the normal adrenal glands. The studies were performed on a 0.5-Tesla superconducting unit. T1-weighted spin-echo (T1WI), T2-weighted spin-echo (T2WI) and T2*-weighted gradient-echo (T2*-WI) images were obtained. T1WI demonstrated the normal adrenal glands in 90% of the patients. T2*WI identified the glands in 86%, a higher rate than the 73% for T2WI. On both T1WI and T2WI, the right adrenal gland was demonstrated of a lower rate than the left adrenal gland, because the right retroperitoneal fat layer was narrow in patients with hepatic tumors. T2*WI depicted both adrenal glands equally, because the intensity of the left adrenal gland was the same as that of collateral veins from portal hypertension. It is suggested that both T1WI and T2WI with a gradient echo pulse sequence are more useful in depicting the adrenal glands than both T1WI and T2WI.