CHAPTER 5 - BASIC IMAGE INTERPRETATION

Abstract

This chapter presents an approach to magnetic resonance (MR) image interpretation and discusses the evaluation of signal intensity of different tissues on spin echo images. With MR imaging, an operator has to make many choices before performing a study. The selection of the appropriate RF coil, slice thickness, field of view, matrix size, and number of signal acquisitions are important decisions to be taken in this regard. All of these decisions are interrelated, the most important being which pulse sequence to use. The selection of a pulse sequence depends not only on the part of the body being imaged but also on the type of disorder being evaluated. Before the selection of the appropriate pulse sequence, the presumed abnormality must be identified from the patient's history and physical exam. Once this is accomplished, a pulse sequence that optimizes the contrast between the suspected abnormality and contiguous tissues can be selected. For example, the pulse sequence that is perfectly appropriate for detecting prostatic carcinoma may be different from the best pulse sequence to evaluate spread of the same prostatic cancer into pelvic fat.