The imaging of micrometastases in lymph nodes by super-high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging in combination with super-high-sensitivity imaging.

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In this study, diagnostic imaging methods to visualize micrometastases in lymph nodes were studied using mouse models. A common bed that can be used in both SPECT and MRI was made. After Tc-99m phytate was injected into mouse footpads, the mouse was fixed on the common bed. Then, lymphoscintigraphy was obtained using a SPECT/CT scanner dedicated for small animals and sentinel lymph nodes were identified. After that, the mouse that was fixed on the common bed was moved to an MRI system that was composed of a 3.0T clinical MRI scanner and a coil dedicated for mice. The interior of the identified sentinel lymph node was observed by high resolution MR images. Our common bed successfully enabled to fuse SPECT images and high-resolution MR images with the gap less than 1mm. As a result, the interiors of sentinel lymph nodes that were identified with high sensitivity by Tc-99m phytate SPECT could be precisely observed by high resolution MR images.