Patrick Asbach MD, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Matthias Taupitz MD, PhD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Alexander Huppertz MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Bernd K. Hamm MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Christian Klessen MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

To investigate whether whole-body MRI (WB-MRI) allows accurate staging of patients with renal cell carcinoma or malignant melanoma in comparison to multi-detector CT (MDCT) as the standard of reference.

56 consecutive patients (35 men, 21 women; mean age 58.6 years (range 26-76 years); renal cell carcinoma: 31; malignant melanoma: 25) underwent MDCT and WB-MRI within 1,3 days (range 1-6). A dedicated whole-body MR-scanner with an advanced surface-coil-system and 32 receiver channels (Magnetom Avanto, Siemens, Erlangen, DE) was used. The MDCT scans were performed on a 16-row or 64-row CT (Sensation 16 / 64, Siemens, Erlangen DE), respectively. Using a dichotomous approach, the presence or absence of metastasis was evaluated in 15 different organ systems or anatomic regions including head, neck, thorax, abdomen and pelvis. Accurate staging of the respective organ or anatomic region was achieved if WB-MRI was able to detect the presence of metastasis in at least 90% of patients who had metastasis on MDCT. The McNemar test was used for the statistical calculation. The time for image acquisition and reading of all scans was recorded.

In 13 out of 15 organs or anatomic regions WB-MRI was able to detect metastasis in at least 90% of patients who showed metastasis on MDCT. The two regions were WB-MRI did not reach 90% were the neck (76%) and the lungs (81%). The acquisition time of the WB-MRI was significantly higher compared to MDCT (72 min. versus 8 min.). The time needed for reading the scans was also significantly higher for WB-MRI in comparison to MDCT (14 min. versus 11 min.).

In comparison to MDCT as standard of reference, WB-MRI allows accurate staging of patients with metastatic malignant melanoma and renal cell carcinoma with the exception of the lungs and the neck. However, the significantly higher time of effort might limit the application of WB-MRI at present.

In comparison to MDCT as standard of reference, WB-MRI allows accurate staging of patients with metastatic malignant melanoma and renal cell carcinoma with the exception of the lungs and the neck.

Asbach, P, Taupitz, M, Huppertz, A, Hamm, B, Klessen, C, Whole-Body MRI in Staging Renal Cell Carcinoma and Malignant Melanoma: Comparison to MDCT.  Radiological Society of North America 2006 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, November 26 - December 1, 2006 ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2006/4437292.html