Khurana S, et al. – This study was designed not only to evaluate the value of phase for characterization of female pelvic lesions with hemorrhage in various stages but also to differentiate them from calcified lesions at 3.0–T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The results seemed to suggest that quantitative phase imaging has the potential to differentiate various stages of hemorrhagic and calcified pathologies. This might add value to the conventional MRI in an advanced characterization of these entities in female pelvic pathologies.

Methods

• In the study presented here, 44 female patients with hemorrhagic (n = 37) or calcified (n = 7) pelvic pathology underwent conventional MRI including susceptibility-weighted imaging with phase information.
• After that, hemorrhagic lesions were grouped into acute, subacute, and chronic, and calcified lesions were detected on the basis of conventional imaging findings.
• Finally, phase quantification of these hemorrhagic and calcified lesions was performed.

Results

• The study results showed that the phase values significantly differed (P < 0.001) among various stages of hemorrhage, as well as calcification (chronic hemorrhage, -65.09 ± 9.09 degrees; subacute hemorrhage, -11.41 ± 4.4 degrees; acute hemorrhage, -42.30 ± 5.20 degrees; and calcified lesions, 117.55 ± 12.93 degrees).