ABSTRACT
Sonography is accepted as the primary imag ing modality for evaluating a uterine mass. However, sonographic image interpretation can be difficult because of insufficient coverage of the sonographic probe in women with an enlarged uterus or as a result of posterior shadowing of multiple leiomyomata, or fibroids, hiding part of the uterus. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the pelvis has been proposed as a problem solving technique since the early 1990s.1,2 The purpose of secondary MRI of the pelvis depends on the initial sonographic presentation and diagnostic question. MRI can be performed to confirm the uterine origin of a pelvic mass, to dif ferentiate between the two most common be nign myometrial conditions - leiomyomata and adenomyosis - or to map multiple uterine leiomyomata. Because treatment options differ according to the uterine disease and the number and location of leiomyomata, additional MRI has become an important diagnostic tool to allow adequate treatment allocation.
