Cystic mediastinal masses and the role of MRI

Rachna Madan; Lisa Ratanaprasatporn; Linda Ratanaprasatporn; Brett W Carter; Jeanne B Ackman

doi:10.1016/j.clinimag.2017.12.011

Cystic mediastinal masses and the role of MRI

Clin Imaging. 2018 Jul-Aug:50:68-77. doi: 10.1016/j.clinimag.2017.12.011. Epub 2017 Dec 27.

Authors

Rachna Madan¹, Lisa Ratanaprasatporn², Linda Ratanaprasatporn³, Brett W Carter⁴, Jeanne B Ackman⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA 02115, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].
² Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA 02115, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].
³ Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA 02115, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁴ Department of Diagnostic Radiology, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd, Houston, TX 77030, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁵ Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 55 Fruit, Street, Boston, MA, 02114, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].

PMID: 29324329
DOI: 10.1016/j.clinimag.2017.12.011

Abstract

While some cystic masses can be definitively diagnosed on CT, others remain indeterminate. Because of its intrinsic superior soft tissue resolution, MR is an important tool in the evaluation of select mediastinal masses that are incompletely characterized on CT. This review describes how non-vascular MR provides greater diagnostic precision in the evaluation of indeterminate cystic mediastinal masses on CT. It also emphasizes key MR pulse sequences for optimal evaluation of problematic mediastinal masses.

Keywords: Cystic mediastinal masses; Problem solving MR.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Cysts / diagnosis
Cysts / diagnostic imaging
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging / methods*
Mediastinal Neoplasms / diagnosis*
Mediastinal Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging
Mediastinum / diagnostic imaging
Mediastinum / pathology*
Tomography, X-Ray Computed / methods