Magnetom avanto 1.5 tesla mri scanner

Consecutive patients were invited for postoperative MRI of the pelvis. Patients with disseminated disease, previous diagnosis of local recurrence, death at inclusion or contraindication to MRI were not eligible. Patients had MRI at least 6 months from the time of primary surgery.
MRI was performed using a Magnetom Avanto 1·5‐Tesla MRI Scanner® (Siemens, Erlangen, Germany). Sagittal, axial and coronal T2‐weighted turbo spin‐echo images were obtained in addition to a sagittal short T1‐inversion recovery of the bony pelvis and a sagittal T23D sequence of the smaller pelvis. The radiologist was blinded to the pathological assessment and all clinical data, with the exception of preoperative MRI findings and type of surgery. Evaluation of the postoperative MRI included assessment for the presence, localization and size of residual mesorectum, level of anastomosis and detection of local recurrence. The same radiologist evaluated all radiological examinations together with the first author for consensus. Mesorectal fatty tissue with a discernible tissue interface of fibrosis, which separates the mesorectum from the mesocolon, was considered a sign of residual mesorectum and categorized as described previously9. Only mesorectum above the level of the anastomosis perpendicular to the bowel was regarded as inadvertent residual mesorectum following PME.