Abstract
We used the permanent magnet MRI system (MRP-20) for diagnosis of patients with pheochromocytoma and primary aldosteronism. The gradient echo with rephasing method was used to avoid the artifacts due to respiration. The images obtained using this method clearly showed adrenal tumors and were useful for abnormalities of the organs with respiratory movement Though we could not perform 13'I-MIBG scintigraphy for the patient with pheochromocytoma, we obtained coronal images of MRI along the retroperitoneal ganglions, and these images were useful for the search of ectopic tumors. Adenoma of the adrenal gland was slightly enhanced by contrast Gd-DTPA. The relative tumor-to-liver signal intensities with the T2* weighted sequence were 0.96 and 0.58 in pheochromocytoma and adenoma, respectively. However, to evaluate this method for the possibility of the tumor characterization, more discussions in many cases were considered to be needed.
