MRI

Three-D intraluminal views based on CT or MRI data sets could avoid need for conventional angiography or intravascular ultrasound

Other studies confirm value of vertebroplasty, show growing influence of diffusion tensor imaging

Elastography is attracting growing attention in prostate imaging. The term refers to the measurement of the elastic properties of tissues, based on the well-established principle that malignant tissue is harder than benign tissue. A color classification system registers tissue as benign (green) or malignant (blue).

Dutch hospital demonstrates repeatable accuracy of USPIO-based protocol on metastastic lesions

Most 3T MR systems are sold to university hospitals and research facilities, and relatively few go to private practices.

Parallel imaging and a 32-channel coil help modality gain the upper hand over FDG-PET/CT

The emerging therapy of islet transplantation has shown great promise for diabetes patients.

CONTEXT: Combining proton MR spectroscopic imaging, sodium MR, and PET/CT imaging may be an effective multimodality approach for detecting early response to chemotherapy in breast cancer patients, according to Dr. Michael Jacobs, a radiologist at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.

Two top meetings showcase MI progress, while investment in basic sciences soars

Most benign lesions considered unspecific on ultrasound or CT can be identified with great confidence on MRI

The National Electrical Manufacturers Association has published four standards that are part of a series of test standards developed by the medical diagnostic imaging industry for the measurement of performance parameters, such as noise levels, energy deposition, and electric field strength, that govern image quality of MRI systems.

Most infected individuals remain asymptomatic carriers, but hepatosplenic form of schistosomiasis can be associated with serious complications

After 19 years in a minimally conscious state, a man recovered language and motor function. Diffusion tensor MR imaging showed reorganization of the patient’s brain white matter that could have facilitated functional recovery.

Diffusion tensor MR imaging, which depicts the displacement of water molecules through tissue, can visualize changes to ischemic brain white matter in infants at least two to three hours before conventional MRI can document changes, according to a study in the July issue of Radiology.

What music inspires a Nobel Laureate? The answer: Gustav Holst’s Jupiter from The Planets, Bedrich Smetena’s Ma Vlast (My Country), Charles Trenet’s La Mer, Perry Como’s Magic Moments, and William Walton’s Coronation March.

A computer model simulation suggests that adding breast MRI screening may be cost-effective for women of certain ages who carry BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations, according to Stanford University researchers.

For the first time, a study has shown that a smaller corpus callosum in people with autism correlates with lower brain functional connectivity. The finding supports a new theory of cortical underconnectivity in autism. This theory proposes that autism is a cognitive and neurobiological disorder associated with underfunctioning of integrative circuitry.

Functional MRI data suggest that improper development of specific brain circuitries could beget bipolar disorder, according to National Institute of Mental Health researchers. Their findings underscore shifting beliefs regarding the origins of chronic psychiatric diseases.

Volumetric MR scanning can accurately track structural changes preceding the onset of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease, according to a study by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. MR could sound the alarm on disease progression earlier than standard blood and urine tests.

A new space shuttle mission reminds musculoskeletal specialists that astronauts share with bedridden patients a susceptibility to muscle and tendon atrophy. Phase-contrast cine MR at 3T provides a useful, accurate way to guide management of this atrophy, according to researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Diffusion hyperpolarized helium-3 MRI could provide a noninvasive means to diagnose and manage children with bronchopulmonary dysplasia, according to a study presented at the 2006 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine meeting in May.

The California State Assembly has passed a bill that would restrict sales of ultrasound machines to medical professionals. The move follows public safety concerns raised by actor Tom Cruise's purchase of ultrasound equipment to perform exams on his pregnant fiancee in November 2005.

We all make mistakes, and some cost more than others. It seems that your brain has a special compartment set aside to absorb these moments.

A top official for the American College of Cardiology says cardiologists should drive quality improvements in cardiac imaging, and that a major effort should be made to increase how imaging is used in cardiology research and practice.

Parallel imaging continues to drive MRI development as an enabling technology for clinical 3T and as the catalyst for new data acquisition strategies offering unprecedented improvements in temporal resolution.

Time-of-flight PET/CT and PET/MR are adding sizzle to the PET equipment scene, with the driving motivation being fast, faster, and fastest data acquisition.

Prostate imaging can be a lonely, thankless line of work for radiologists. Specialists are scarce, and urologists have the upper hand. Cancer screening is controversial, and imaging research has yielded a mixed bag of results. Nevertheless, prostate guru Dr. Ethan Halpern is bullish about the future.

Buoyed by highly promising preliminary results, radiologists and cardiologists are lining up to learn coronary artery CT. Interest is growing in new CCT fellowships and medical conferences offering CCT training. Record sales of cardiovascular 64-slice CT scanners, many installed in the first half of 2006, are fueling the demand.

When Jiangyang Zhang, Ph.D., picked up his Research Trainee Prize from RSNA 2005, the former biomedical engineering student was on a temporary research contract at the Johns Hopkins University radiology department. This September, his status will be upgraded to that of assistant professor. While the promotion was not due to the RSNA award alone, Zhang believes that recognition may have helped his quest for tenure.

MR imaging studies in adults and middle school children have underscored a link between the connectivity of brain white matter fibers and the ability to read. New diffusion tensor imaging data from Canadian researchers prove this relationship can be found much earlier in life than previously thought.