MR imaging of the pelvis

MR imaging has been shown to be an excellent method for displaying normal and abnormal pelvic anatomy. Although it is not tissue specific, it provides information helpful in characterizing most pelvic masses and is particularly useful in demonstrating the relationship of a pelvic mass to adjacent normal structures. The limited clinical data currently available indicate that MR imaging can improve on the accuracy of other radiologic methods used for the local staging of pelvic neoplasms. However, large prospective studies comparing MR with other cross-sectional imaging techniques, such as CT and ultrasound (US), are lacking. At present, US remains the method of choice for evaluating most benign pelvic conditions because of its ease of performance and lower cost. CT, although somewhat inferior to MR imaging in the local staging of pelvic neoplasms, is a much more efficient method for evaluating the remainder of the abdomen and chest for metastatic disease. Nevertheless, MR should continue to assume an increasingly prominent role in the imaging evaluation of the pelvis, particularly if technological refinements are able to improve the efficiency and decrease the cost of examinations.