Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the gold standard imaging modality for soft tissues. It produces detail cross-sectional images of soft tissue and bone anatomy, including muscles, tendons, ligaments, brain and organs, without the use of ionizing radiation. In addition to orthopedic imaging, MRI is also used for heart, brain and breast. MRI uses gadolinium contrast in many exams to highlight tissues and blood vessels, which enhances images and offers better diagnostic quality. It can also be used in conjunction with PET scans. How does MRI work? MR creates images by using powerful magnets to polarize hydrogen atoms in water (the body is made of of more than 80% water) so they face in one direction. A radiofrequency pulse is then used to ping these atoms, causing them to wobble, or resonate. The MRI coils detect this and computers can assemble images from the signals. Basic MRI scans will focus on the resonance of fat and water in two different sequences, which highlight and contrast different features in the anatomy.

MRI scans using diffusion tensor imaging can predict Alzheimer's disease

MRI scans using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) show potential for predicting if a patient will develop Alzheimer’s disease later in life, according to findings to be presented at RSNA 2018 in Chicago.

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AI startup Ezra secures $4M for MRI-based prostate cancer screening program

Ezra, a New York City-based artificial intelligence (AI) startup, has secured $4 million in funding for its new direct-to-consumer prostate cancer screening program.

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MRI captures more detail in colon cancers than multidetector CT

MRI may be a better choice than multidetector CT for identifying high-risk colon cancers that have already reached stage II or stage III, are still surgically resectable and are at risk of progressing to stage IV.

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MR spectroscopy adds little diagnostic value when imaging brain tumors

Adding magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) to MRI does not significantly improve the classification of brain tumors in clinical practice, although MRS may be a valuable supplement to MRI in certain cases, according to researchers from Sweden's Uppsala University.

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Researcher awarded $40K to study how PET/MRI imaging could improve care for sarcoma patients

David Shultz, MD, PhD, of the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, has been awarded the 2018 Hitachi Healthcare Americas /RSNA Research Seed Grant by the RSNA Research & Education (R&E) Foundation.

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Diffusion MRI reveals memory capacity in healthy children

By assessing the degree of variegation in the white matter of children’s brains using diffusion-weighted MRI, neuroradiologists can predict how well the kids will perform in memory tests.

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When incidental renal lesions are discovered on lumbar spine MRI, what is the next step?

Incidental renal lesions are commonly detected during lumbar spine MRI examinations. When that occurs, is follow-up imaging always necessary? The authors of a new study published in the American Journal of Roentgenology explored that very question.

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Police filing new charges related to fatal MRI accident

Charges will be filed against ward boy Vitthal Chavan of Nair Hospital in Mumbai, India, for his involvement in the death of 32-year-old Rajesh Maru, who walked into an MRI room with a gas cylinder in January.

Around the web

The nuclear imaging isotope shortage of molybdenum-99 may be over now that the sidelined reactor is restarting. ASNC's president says PET and new SPECT technologies helped cardiac imaging labs better weather the storm.

CMS has more than doubled the CCTA payment rate from $175 to $357.13. The move, expected to have a significant impact on the utilization of cardiac CT, received immediate praise from imaging specialists.

The all-in-one Omni Legend PET/CT scanner is now being manufactured in a new production facility in Waukesha, Wisconsin.