Adnexal structures: MR imaging

Magnetic resonance (MR) images of the pelvis in 63 women (40 healthy and 23 with various adnexal diseases) were assessed retrospectively. When imaged with contiguous sections without gaps, adnexa were demonstrated bilaterally in 13 of the 15 healthy women of reproductive age, but in only seven of the 15 healthy postmenopausal women. Normal adnexa demonstrated low to medium signal intensity on images obtained with short repetition time (TR) (0.5 sec) and echo delay time (TE) (28 or 30 msec). Their signal intensity approached that of fat on images with a long TR (2.0 sec) and TE (56 or 60 msec). The adnexal origin of the pelvic masses was correctly identified in every case. Lesions containing fluid with little or no protein, fat, or blood content (simple fluid) had characteristically long T1 and T2 relaxation times and low signal intensity on images obtained with a short TR (0.5 sec) and TE (28 or 30 msec); they could be readily differentiated from all the other types of lesions.