Magnetic resonance chemical shift imaging in bone and soft tissue tumours

A study was carried out in 14 patients to assess the location and differential diagnosis of bone and soft tissue tumours with a 0.5 Tesla scanner, using water and fat images obtained by the three-point Dixon technique. We compared the magnetic resonance imaging findings obtained with this technique with conventional MRI, T1-T2-weighted images, and gadalinium-diethylenetriamine penta-acetic acid enhanced T1-weighted images. Localisation was better with the three-point Dixon technique than with conventional magnetic resonance imaging. Differentiation between the fat and water component around the tumour was possible. The gadalinium-diethylenetriamine penta-acetic acid enhanced water images were very sensitive to enhancement of the tissue. The three-point Dixon technique is useful when the tumour area is difficult to detect by conventional magnetic resonance imaging and information about its components is needed; these images can be made at the low magnet field.