MRI Characteristics of the Uterine Junctional Zone: From Normal to the Diagnosis of Adenomyosis

Sébastien Novellas, Madleen Chassang, Jerome Delotte, J. Delotte, Olivier Toullalan, A Chevallier, Anne Chevallier, Jerome Bouaziz, Jérôme Bouaziz, Patrick Chevallier, P. Chevallier
AJR. American journal of roentgenology · 2011 · vol. 196(5) , pp. 1206–1213 · doi:10.2214/ajr.10.4877 · PMID:21512093 · W2142865293
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⚙ AI-generated summary by claude@2026-06, 2026-06-07 ⓘ

MRI is the imaging method of choice for evaluating the uterine junctional zone, with junctional zone thickness exceeding 12 mm being the key finding for diagnosing adenomyosis with 85% accuracy.

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Abstract

OBJECTIVE: MRI was the first imaging technique to permit the visualization of the uterine junctional zone and remains the imaging method of choice to evaluate it and its associated pathology. CONCLUSION: Adenomyosis can be diagnosed using MRI with a diagnostic accuracy of 85%. The most important MR finding in making the diagnosis is thickness of the junctional zone exceeding 12 mm. The principal limitation of MRI is the absence of a definable junctional zone on imaging, which occurs in 20% of premenopausal women.

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Condition tags

endometriosisadenomyosis

MeSH descriptors

Endometriosis Endometrium Magnetic Resonance Imaging Myometrium Uterine Diseases Adult Aged Age Factors Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometrium Endometrium Endometrium Female Humans Menopause Menopause Menstrual Cycle Menstrual Cycle Middle Aged

Citation neighborhood

Papers in the corpus that this work cites (lower rings, blue) and that cite this one (upper rings, green). Dot size scales with the paper's in-corpus citation count — bigger dot = more influential within the endo/adeno field. Click a dot to open that paper. [ expand to 2 hops ] — adds papers reached through this work's immediate citers/citees. Heavier; up to 60 extra dots.

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Cited by (50)

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