[Magnetic resonance tomography (MRT) of the adrenals]

Thirty-eight MRT examinations were carried out in 35 patients who, between them, had 19 abnormalities in the adrenal glands. These included ten adenomas, three metastases, two carcinomas, two phaeochromocytomas, and two primary retroperitoneal tumours. MRT provides images of normal and abnormal adrenal glands which are equivalent to those of CT, with the exception that it cannot demonstrate calcification. Using a ratio of signal intensity from the adrenal tumours and the liver on T2-weighted images, it is usually possible to differentiate adenomas from metastases, carcinomas or phaeochromocytomas. The increased specificity of MRT is valuable in the investigation of patients with asymptomatic enlargement of the adrenal glands.