[Value of nuclear magnetic resonance tomography in lung tumors]

A total of 93 patients with pulmonary diseases were examined by means of magnetic resonance tomography. Of these, 39 had a bronchial neoplasm of varying histological structure and varying hilar and mediastinal extension. Compared with other imaging methods, magnetic resonance tomography offers advantages in the imaging of a malignant process and accurate definition of its spatial extension. MR and CT seem to be essentially of equal value in respect of the diagnostic problem of deciding whether lymph node metastases are present in the mediastinum and in the hilus. On the other hand, CT is presently still superior to MR with regard to verifying small-scale processes which are in the process of undergoing endobronchial growth, since CT provides better spatial resolution. Hence, in our opinion the special value of magnetic resonance tomography is the exact definition of the extension of an already identified neoplastic process. This method can supply accurate pointers towards the operability of a bronchial neoplasm. In this regard it is an ideal complement to mediastinoscopy. However, MR will not be an important tool--even in the foreseeable future--for effecting early diagnosis of a neoplasm. The value of diagnostic information supplied by this method may improve by the future use of breath triggering, and additional diagnostic advantages are envisaged by the use of contrast media and the future possibility of producing thinner layers. That is why the catalogue of indications prepared at this time should be seen as a kind of momentary snapshot which may have to be supplemented or extended after the prevailing technical and equipment parameters have undergone further optimisation.