NMR scanning of the pelvis: initial experience with a 0.3 T system

Pelvic NMR scans were obtained on 29 patients using a 0.3 T superconducting magnet system. Pathologies studied included four bladder carcinomas, four prostatic carcinomas, four ovarian dermoid cysts, three ovarian cysts, three endometrial carcinomas, two endometriomas, and one each of serous cystadenoma of the ovary, benign prostatic hypertrophy, pelvic hematoma, and undifferentiated sarcoma. NMR is a very promising method for characterizing pelvic masses and in staging pelvic malignancies. It can show primary tumors of the prostate, bladder, and uterus and reveals tumor extension into pelvic fat. The pelvis is particularly well suited to NMR scanning because of the abundant natural contrast provided by pelvic fat and by urine in the bladder and gas in the bowel. There is also less motion blurring than in the upper abdomen and chest because there is relatively little respiratory motion of pelvic organs. Various pulse sequences were used in scanning the pelvis; their relative merits are discussed.