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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Mumbai hospital tells patients in need of MRI scans to come back in 2020

Patients needing an MRI at the Nair Hospital in Mumbai, India, will have to wait until 2020, as the “overburdened radiology department” only has only one functioning MRI machine, according to a report by the Hindustan Times.

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Breast MRI provides value for high-risk breast cancer patients after negative DBT

Breast MRI’s performance when screening women at a high-risk for breast cancer after negative digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) results is similar to its performance after negative 2D digital mammography results, according to new findings published in the American Journal of Roentgenology.

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Ordering providers not following ACR guidance for knee MRI referrals

Adherence to the American College of Radiology (ACR) Appropriateness Criteria is low among ordering providers when referring patients to get MRIs for nontraumatic knee pain, according to a study published in the Journal of the American College of Radiology.

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Brain MRI research fuels hopes for an answer to Alzheimer’s

Tens of millions of baby boomers are expected to live long enough to develop Alzheimer’s, and just about as many are worried about those prospects. One of them is a writer on Cape Cod named Susan Moeller. A recent memory lapse prompted her to publish her hopes, fears and observations.

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Structural MRI identifies insomnia as a risk factor for Alzheimer’s

Going by structural MRI of the brain, older people under 80 who have normal cognitive function but poor sleep quality are at heightened risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease or amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI).

AMRA receives FDA approval for MRI body measurement solution

AMRA, a medical technology company based out of Linköping, Sweden, has received FDA clearance for AMRA Profiler, an MR solution that measures a patient’s fat volumes, fat fractions and lean tissue volumes.

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Ultrafast MRI brain scans sufficient for diagnosing stroke in a hurry

MRI scans completed in just one minute can produce images of decent enough quality to diagnose stroke as well as intracranial abnormalities in patients who can’t hold still for long, including children, according to the authors of a pilot study published online Dec. 7 in the Journal of Neurology.

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Whole-body PET/MRI shows promise for staging high-risk prostate cancer patients

Whole-body PET/MRI shows potential to provide physicians with a “one-stop-shop” for staging high-risk prostate cancer patients, according to new research published in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine.