DMFR
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
This Article
Right arrow Figures Only
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Erol, B
Right arrow Articles by Yilmaz, A
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Erol, B
Right arrow Articles by Yilmaz, A
Dentomaxillofacial Radiology (2004) 33, 183-187
© 2004 British Institute of Radiology
doi: 10.1259/dmfr/25384047

RESEARCH

Determinants of MR relaxation rates in jaw cysts: implications for diagnostic values of the relaxation times

B Erol*,1, UN Yilmaz1, R Tanrikulu1 and A Yilmaz2

1 Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Dicle, 21280 Diyarbakir, Turkey; 2 Department of Physics, Faculty of Art and Sciences, University of Dicle, 21280 Diyarbakir, Turkey

*Correspondence to: Prof. Dr Behçet Erol, Dicle Universitesi, Dis Hekimligi Fakültesi, 21280 Diyarbakir, Turkey; Email: berol{at}dicle.edu.tr

Received 19 January 2004; revised 13 April 2004; accepted 2 May 2004

Objectives: The MRI signal intensities and the relaxation times (T1 and T2) have already been used for comparisons among various types of cysts. The signal intensities (or T1 and T2) were suggested to be related to cyst content. However, such a relationship between the relaxation rates (1/T1 and 1/T2) and the aspirated content of jaw cysts was not given. Therefore, an investigation on the determinants of the relaxation rates in the jaw cysts may be helpful in elucidating the biological basis for the differences in relaxation rates among the categories of jaw cysts.

Methods: The aspirated contents of 23 cysts (16 radicular and 7 haemorrhagic) were scanned using an MR imager operating at 1 T magnetic field strength. The viscosities and the dry-weight-to-water-weight ratios (Ms/Mw) were determined. Also, the mean values of cyst categories were compared using statistical analysis.

Results: The 1/T1 had a moderate correlation with viscosity (0.66) and Ms/Mw (0.56), while the 1/T2 had a good correlation with viscosity (0.87) and Ms/Mw (0.82). The mean values of viscosity, Ms/Mw and relaxation rates in radicular cysts were significantly lower (P<0.05) than those of haemorrhagic cysts.

Conclusions: The present data suggest that similarities and differences between relaxation rates of radicular and haemorrhagic cysts can be explained by the solid content and viscosity of cysts.

Keywords: MRI; cyst; viscosity; solid






HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
BJR DMFR IMAGING ALL BIR JOURNALS
Copyright © 2004 by the British Institute of Radiology.