MRI

Strategists focus attention on body applications at 3T to encourage widespread adoption in clinical practice

Organized coalition of imagers targets flimsy rationale behind Deficit Reduction Act

There is one central fact to which I owe my career, as do many of us in this room: that is the wondrous and mysterious fact that magnetic resonance never seems to be done.

Junior high school student with proper training could read certain cardiac CT studies

Researchers in the U.K. have found that an ultrasound-guided steroid and anesthetic injection can alleviate the pain and disability affecting soccer players with posterior ankle impingement. The minimally invasive treatment could help players recover pain-free mobility and return to the pitch sooner than conventional treatment would allow.

The June 2006 edition of the Health Devices journal by ECRI, an independent nonprofit health services research agency, contains an in-depth evaluation of 1.5T MR systems. The evaluation included GE’s Signa HD 1.5T, Siemens’ Magnetom Avanto, and Toshiba’s Vantage (the other major supplier of 1.5T systems, Philips, declined the invitation).

The FDA is advising caution in the use of gadolinium contrast agents with MRI in patients with advanced kidney failure.

PET can identify the brain receptors most vulnerable to nicotine absorption, measuring how just a single cigarette puff can drive the desire for smoking, according to National Institute on Drug Abuse researchers. Resulting data may lead to more effective treatments to help smokers quit.

In the first study in its kind, Japanese researchers have shown that MR imaging before and after contrast medium injection provides an accurate evaluation of articular cartilage repair. The technique could become an effective way to monitor treatment in this setting.

Various hemostatic vascular clips, other types of clips, fasteners, and staples evaluated for magnetic field interactions have been found to be acceptable for patients undergoing MR imaging procedures at 1.5T or less. These implants are made from nonferromagnetic materials such as tantalum, nitinol, and titanium. Some hemostatic and other similar clips are made from biodegradable materials, which do not pose a hazard to patients.

Researchers weigh alternatives while they search for optimal ferric material

Researchers focusing on various image-guided methods also evaluate quality of embolizing particles

Human immunodeficiency virus infection results in a wide spectrum of inflammatory, rheumatic, and neoplastic conditions

Exploiting signal-to-noise advantages of high field strength scanners proves key to making inroads and overcoming shortcomings

64-slice and dual-source scanners are improving visualization of coronary anatomy in patients

MR spectroscopy imaging is highly accurate for early detection of prostate cancer in asymptomatic patients, with 87% sensitivity and 93% specificity, according to new research from Spain.

Blood volume measurement and diffusion tensor imaging differentiate among tumor types

MR elastography could provide noninvasive diagnosis of hepatic fibrosis, according to researchers in Belgium and Minnesota. The technique could lead to earlier detection in patients at risk and reduce the need for biopsy.

Functional MRI can differentiate between people who experience substantial dread of adverse experiences and those who don't, according to a study released by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

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