The included patients were subsequently examined by a cardiologist and referred for MRI. In order to study the effect of factors such as age and elapsed time from surgery we subdivided the

participants into two groups – those in whom the thymus was visible through MRI and those in whom the thymus was not visible. Imaging was done using a Siemens device (Siemens, Germany) with a magnetic field of 1.5 Tesla. The protocol for the obtained sequences performed by a single technician under the supervision of a radiology resident was as follows: axial HASTE sequence, axial T2 turbo, and axial in and out phase. We initially aimed to obtain sagittal in and out phase images. Rapamycin mw However, Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical considering the longer imaging time and the lack of patients’ cooperation to control their respirations,

we changed to the mentioned sequences. All images were saved in the picture archiving and communication system (PACS) and evaluations were performed on a work station. All images and sequences were accurately examined by a single radiologist. The visibility, shape (round, smooth, lobulated, regular, and irregular borders), tissue heterogeneity and homogeneity, size (biggest size in the transverse, anterior-posterior directions and height), and place of the organ as well as ectopic or hyperplasic tissue were accurately examined. All images were carefully examined for any random findings. Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical Data were analyzed using SPSS software, version 15. Mann-Whitney U and Fisher’s Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical exact tests were used as appropriate. A P value<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results In the case group, there were 6 girls and 7 boys (median age:

7 years, range: 5-17 years). The control group consisted of 6 boys and 7 girls (median age: 12 years, range: 7-17 years). The patients’ ages ranged from Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical 1-14 years at the time they underwent median sternotomy. The elapsed time after surgery varied from 2-7 years. The thymus was easily observed in all participants in the control group on axial HASTE images compared with only 7 (53.8%) patients in the case group (P=0.015). We found that gender did not have a significant effect on visualization of the thymus (P=0.695). The mean±SD time elapsed from surgery in those whose thymus was visible through imaging GSK-3 was 3.14±1.77 years and in those whose thymus was not visible, it was 3±0.894 years (P=0.73, Mann Whitney). For re-evaluation we divided the patients into two groups based on the time elapsed from surgery (2 years and over 2 years). There was no significant relationship between these two groups (P=1, Fisher’s exact test). There was a significant relationship in terms of mean age between the group in which the thymus was visible (9.7±4.23 years) compared to the group in which the thymus was not visible (7±1.14 years, P=0.007). The age range of the latter group was 5-9 years (median: 7 years) compared with 5-17 years (median: 10 years) in the group in which the thymus was visible.