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.

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Snoring in children could affect neurological development, brain MR imaging finds

The NIH-backed study is the largest of its kind, incorporating scans from more than 10,000 children, experts wrote in Nature Communications.

April 14, 2021
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Guerbet touts performance of new lower dose gadolinium contrast agent for MRI

A total of 560 patients were included in the Phase 3 clinical study of Gadopiclenol, and the firm hopes to seek U.S. regulatory approval in the near future. 

March 25, 2021
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Hospital cuts costs and outpatient MRI wait times using sophisticated mathematical models

Dartmouth Engineering and Lahey Hospital believe this is the first study to explore optimal outpatient exam scheduling using flexibilities seen on the inpatient side. 

March 17, 2021
Abdelkader Mahammedi

For first time, radiologists find correlation between COVID-19 brain MRI and lung CT imaging

With this guidance, clinicians can potentially predict how severely a patient might experience neurological symptoms from the novel coronavirus by looking at chest scans.

March 12, 2021
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MR imaging-first prostate cancer screening program could prevent 1 in 6 deaths

London scientists built a predictive model to estimate number of lives saved and found promising results, they explained recently in JAMA. 

March 12, 2021

Radiologist accused of misreading MRI—resulting in $18M settlement—says he met standard of care

Travis Clark, MD, and Seattle Radiologists described the patient's injuries as “unfortunate," but testimony from three imaging experts backed the accused clinician’s claims, attorneys said.

March 8, 2021

Simple, readily available MRI measurement could reduce breast biopsies by one-third

The practice change takes three minutes, can be incorporated into standard short-MRI scans, and uses infrastructure that exists in most radiology practices. 

March 4, 2021

$18M settlement after radiologist misses ‘clear' warning signs of stroke on MR imaging

A Seattle woman visited the local ED three times over a two-week period complaining of a headache and other symptoms, but one rad reportedly overlooked signs of hemorrhaging.  

March 4, 2021

Around the web

"This was an unneeded burden, which was solely adding to the administrative hassles of medicine," said American Society of Nuclear Cardiology President Larry Phillips.

SCAI and four other major healthcare organizations signed a joint letter in support of intravascular ultrasound. 

The newly approved AI models are designed to improve the detection of pulmonary embolisms and strokes in patients who undergo CT scans.

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