Bone tumors: magnetic resonance imaging versus computed tomography

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Oncology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Bone tumors require accurate imaging for diagnosis and treatment planning.
• Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging offers detailed visualization of soft tissues and bone marrow.
• Comparison with computed tomography (CT) is essential to define the role of MR imaging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the magnetic resonance imaging characteristics of bone tumors.
• To report the clinical utility of MR imaging in evaluating patients with skeletal lesions.
• To compare the efficacy of MR imaging versus CT in assessing tumor extent.

Main Methods:

• Fifty-two patients with skeletal lesions underwent MR imaging using a 0.15-T resistive magnet.
• Patient diagnoses included primary malignancies, benign neoplasms, skeletal metastases, and neoplasm simulators.
• Forty-five patients had CT scans available for comparative analysis.

Main Results:

• MR imaging was superior to CT in demonstrating tumor extent within marrow (33%) and soft tissues (38%).
• CT was superior for identifying calcific deposits and pathologic fractures.
• MR imaging proved advantageous in evaluating patients with metallic implants, outperforming CT in detecting recurrent tumors due to CT artifacts.

Conclusions:

• MR imaging is a valuable tool for evaluating bone tumors, particularly for assessing the peripheral skeleton, medullary canal, soft tissues, and postoperative recurrence.
• Direct sagittal and coronal MR views aid in precise evaluation of tumor relationships with adjacent structures.
• The utility of 0.15-T MR imaging is limited in the assessment of the axial skeleton and cortical bone.