Because of its excellent diagnostic performance, whole-body MRI will probably become an alternative to or replacement for positron emission tomography and computed tomography (PET-CT). The sensitivity of diffusion sequences is high. Whole body MRI is used increasingly often in oncology, for initial or follow-up staging, finding primary tumors after identifying metastases, staging for pregnant woman and children, and therapeutic follow-up. Advantages of whole-body MRI over PET-CT include the absence of irradiation as well as the greater availability, and lower cost of MRI.
Copyright 2009. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.