Adrenal adenomas: characteristic hyperintense rim sign on fat-saturated spin-echo MR images.

PURPOSE

To determine whether adrenal adenomas can be differentiated from metastases on fat-saturated magnetic resonance (MR) images.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Twenty-eight adrenal adenomas and 20 metastatic lesions were imaged at 1.5 T by means of fat-saturated T1- and T2-weighted and gadolinium-enhanced T1-weighted sequences. The authors evaluated visually whether structures of high signal intensity (hyperintense rim sign) could be observed in the outer margin of the adrenal masses.

RESULTS

Twenty-six of 28 adrenal adenomas revealed the hyperintense rim sign on at least one kind of fat-saturated image, compared with only one of 20 metastases. The sensitivity of the hyperintense rim sign as suggestive of adrenal adenoma was 92%, specificity was 95%, and overall accuracy was 94%.

CONCLUSION

The hyperintense rim sign is characteristic of adrenal adenomas. Thus, adrenal adenomas can be differentiated from metastases by means of this new imaging sign on fat-saturated MR images.