Feasibility of MRI in the diagnosis of acute diverticulitis: initial results

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate MRI as a diagnostic tool in patients with suspected acute sigmoid diverticulitis. Furthermore, we sought to develop an optimal imaging protocol in these patients.Patients and methods: Eleven patients with suspected acute diverticulitis were included in the study. All patients were imaged in a 1.0 T clinical scanner using a body-array coil. Imaging sequences were single-shot TSE, HASTE-, STIR- and TrueFisp-sequence. All were obtained in the frontal plane. The diagnosis was verified by a single experienced investigator, using ultrasound, and overall clinicopathological outcome.Results: MRI enabled visualization of signs of an acute diverticulitis in all patients. However, the diagnosis of acute diverticulitis was obtained in 10 patients only. The mean imaging time was 17.5 ± 5.5 min. STIR- and TrueFisp-sequences alone displayed all findings, e.g pericolonic exsudation, edema and segmental narrowing, whereas SSTSE and HASTE-sequences showed no additional information. Therefore, it appeared that the imaging protocol could be restricted to STIR- and TrueFisp-sequences.Conclusion: MRI is feasible as a fast, accurate and investigator-independent diagnostic tool in patients with suspected acute diverticulitis. To prove its value in comparison to computed tomography or ultrasound, further studies are needed.