[Evaluation of mediastinal lymph nodes in the course of lung diseases in dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging].

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the ability of dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance to provide differentiation between malignant and benign mediastinal or hilar lymph nodes. The group of 109 patients were examined, with lung carcinoma (63 patients) and sarcoidosis (46 patients). Relative signal intensity increase after administration of Gd-DTPA in standard dose (0.1 mmol/kg) was measured four times (20 s-3 min after injection). There was no significant difference between all groups. In conclusion, differentiation between types of enlarged lymph nodes could not be achieved using the described protocol.