Beware of the uterine contractions: a mimicker of adenomyosis and of more weird things.

Abdomen, Genital / Reproductive system female, Anatomy, MR Authors: G. T. Bitti, G. Demurtas, S. SECCI, G. M. ARGIOLAS; cagliari/IT DOI: 10.1594/ecr2011/C-2319 Learning objectives The aim of this work is to show the various appearances of uterine contraction on MR imaging and show how this can be distinguished from fibroid, adenomyosis and uterine malignancy.

MR is widely used for the evaluation of uterine and adnexal diseases. It is well known that sustained uterine contractions are the cause for potential pitfalls on T2 sequences (1,2). We retrospectively analized the MR examinations performed in our institution for gynecological diseases in the last two years and analized the different appearance of myometrial contraction on both T2 and postcontrast images. Myometrial contraction has been described as a focal area of transitory thickening of uterine wall with reduced signal intensity on FSET2 sequences; it... Imaging findings OR Procedure details MR studies were performed on a 1,5 MR unit with small FOV (20 cm), 3-5 mm FSET2 acquired on sagittal, axial and coronal planes, 5 mm axial FSE T1 with and without fat saturation and dynamicsagittal post-contrast 3D SPGR T1. Imaging findings are dysplayed on images.

The patterns of uterine contraction are variable for signal intensity and site of involvement, which can vary from inner third (junctional zone) to middle third and full thickness. Being aware of these variations is important to avoid pitfalls. The best way to confirm that an abnormality in the uterus is due to contraction is to proof its transitory nature in different sequences. Personal Information Thank you for your interest in this poster. If you need more informations please e-mail [email protected]

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