MR characteristics of oxidized cellulose (Surgicel)

• Published in: American journal of roentgenology (1976) Vol. 172; no. 6; pp. 1481 - 1484
• Main Authors: Oto, A, Remer, EM, O'Malley, CM, Tkach, JA, Gill, IS
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Leesburg, VA Am Roentgen Ray Soc 01.06.1999; American Roentgen Ray Society
• Subjects: Abscess - diagnosis; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Biological and medical sciences; Cellulose, Oxidized; Diagnosis, Differential; Female; Foreign Bodies - diagnosis; Humans; Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects); Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous. Technology; Postoperative Period; Radiodiagnosis. Nmr imagery. Nmr spectrometry; Retrospective Studies; Case study; Human; Image analysis; Hemostatic; Abscess; Cellulose; Medical imagery; Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging; Differential diagnostic
• ISSN: 0361-803X; 1546-3141
• DOI: 10.2214/ajr.172.6.10350276

Oxidized regenerated cellulose (Surgicel) is one of the most commonly used bioabsorbable topical hemostatic agents. Surgicel may mimic an abscess on both CT and sonography when a patient undergoes imaging early in the postoperative period. The objective of our study was to describe the appearance of Surgicel on postoperative MR imaging. Surgicel has a short relaxation time on T2-weighted images, resulting in low signal intensity in the early postoperative period. MR imaging may be helpful in differentiating Surgicel from an abscess and therefore in preventing unnecessary attempts at aspiration.