Comparing MRI and HRCT for Detecting Pulmonary Tuberculosis
Author Information
Author(s): Busi Rizzi, Vincenzo Schinina', Massimo Cristofaro, Delia Goletti, Fabrizio Palmieri, Nazario Bevilacqua, Francesco N Lauria, Enrico Girardi, Corrado Bibbolino
Primary Institution: National Institute for Infectious Diseases 'L. Spallanzani'
Hypothesis
How does MRI compare to HRCT in assessing pulmonary tuberculosis?
Conclusion
MRI can identify lung lesions in pulmonary tuberculosis with diagnostic performance comparable to HRCT, but with better identification of tissue abnormalities.
Supporting Evidence
- MRI artifacts were negligible in 80% of cases and did not interfere with diagnostic value.
- Both HRCT and MRI correctly diagnosed pulmonary tuberculosis in all patients.
- MRI showed better identification of parenchymal dishomogeneity and pleural involvement compared to HRCT.
- MRI identified nodal involvement in 14 patients, features not clearly identified by CT.
Takeaway
This study shows that MRI can be just as good as CT scans for finding problems in the lungs caused by tuberculosis, and it doesn't use radiation.
Methodology
50 patients with culture-proven pulmonary tuberculosis underwent both HRCT and MRI imaging within 24 hours.
Potential Biases
The readers were blinded to the HRCT results to avoid interpretation bias.
Limitations
The study had a limited number of patients and did not include miliary or calcified nodules.
Participant Demographics
17 women and 33 men, aged 21-63 years, median age 47.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.05
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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