Lipomatous tumors and tumors with fatty component: MR imaging potential and comparison of MR and CT results

This retrospective study was performed to assess the potential of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging for demonstrating various types of lipomatous tumors and tumors with fatty component and to compare the results of MR with those of computed tomography (CT). MR examinations of 17 patients with 18 lipomatous tumors (16, benign; two, liposarcoma) and two patients with fibrosarcomas were reviewed; CT scans were available for comparison in all patients. In the 16 benign lesions (12 benign lipomas, two ovarian dermoid cysts, and two renal angiomyolipomas), the fatty component of the tumors was readily demonstrated by both MR and CT. The T1 and T2 relaxation times and spin density of benign lipomatous tumors were in a range similar to those of normal subcutaneous fat. Differentiation between lipomas and liposarcomas was achieved with both MR and CT. On MR images using a short repetition time (TR = .5 sec), liposarcomas (long T1) were imaged with a lower MR intensity than lipomas (short T1).