Whole-body MR imaging: evaluation of patients for metastases.

Purpose: To compare the results of whole-body magnetic resonance (MR) imaging with staging based on computed tomographic (CT), dedicated MR imaging, and nuclear scintigraphic results as standard of reference.

Materials And Methods: Fifty-one patients with known malignant tumors were included in the study. Patients were placed on a rolling table platform capable of moving the patient rapidly through the isocenter of the magnet bore.

HASTE MRI versus chest radiography in the detection of pulmonary nodules: comparison with MDCT.

Objective: The purpose of our study was to compare the diagnostic accuracy of an ultrafast ECG-triggered black blood-prepared HASTE sequence with chest radiography for the detection of pulmonary nodules. SUBJECTS AND METHODS. Sixty-four patients with various primary malignancies who had undergone radiography and MDCT of the chest also underwent ECG-triggered black blood-prepared HASTE MRI of the lung.

Imaging of myocardial perfusion with magnetic resonance.

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is currently the leading cause of death in developed nations. Reflecting the complexity of cardiac function and morphology, noninvasive diagnosis of CAD represents a major challenge for medical imaging. Although coronary artery stenoses can be depicted with magnetic resonance (MR) and computed tomography (CT) techniques, its functional or hemodynamic impact frequently remains elusive.

Optimization of contrast-enhanced peripheral MR angiography with mid-femoral venous compression (VENCO).

Purpose: To compare a standard protocol for contrast-enhanced three-dimensional magnetic resonance angiography (3D CE-MRA) of the lower extremities to a high spatial resolution protocol with venous compression (VENCO) at the mid-femoral level.

Material And Methods: 12 patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease (8-males; age range, 52 - 74 years; mean 67.1 years; 4 females; age range, 57 - 71 years; mean 62.

Whole-body dual-modality PET/CT and whole-body MRI for tumor staging in oncology.

Context: Deciding on the appropriate therapy for patients with malignant diseases mandates accurate tumor staging with whole-body coverage. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and a combined modality including positron emission tomography (PET) and computed tomography (CT) provide whole-body tumor staging in a single session.

Objective: To determine the staging accuracies of both whole-body PET/CT and whole-body MRI for different malignant diseases.

Myocardial mass and volume measurement of hypertrophic left ventricles by MRI--study in dialysis patients examined before and after dialysis.

Techniques to reliably quantify left ventricular myocardial mass (LVMM) are mandatory for monitoring therapy in patients with left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). The purpose of this study was to measure LVMM and volumes by cine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and to assess acute changes through hemodialysis as a model for different loading states. Seven dialysis patients with LVH were examined before and immediately after hemodialysis.

Steady-state free precession sequences in myocardial first-pass perfusion MR imaging: comparison with TurboFLASH imaging.

The aim of this study was to compare the image quality of a saturation-recovery gradient-recalled echo (GRE; TurboFLASH) and a saturation-recovery SSFP (SR-TrueFISP) sequence for myocardial first-pass perfusion MRI. Eight patients with chronic myocardial infarction and 8 volunteers were examined with a TurboFLASH (TR 2.1 ms, TE 1 ms, FA 8 degrees ) and a SR-TrueFISP sequence (TR 2.

Coronary arteries: contrast-enhanced MR imaging with SH L 643A--experience in 12 volunteers.

Purpose: To assess SH L 643A for three-dimensional breath-hold and respiratory-gated magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in the depiction of coronary arteries.

Materials And Methods: Twelve healthy male volunteers underwent either three-dimensional breath-hold (n = 6) or respiratory-gated (n = 6) coronary MR angiography before and after intravenous injection of 0.1 mmol SH L 643A per kilogram of body weight.

Detection of atherosclerotic plaque with Gadofluorine-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging.

Background: The purpose of this study was to visualize atherosclerotic plaques independently of luminal narrowing using T1-weighted contrast-enhanced MRI.

Methods And Results: Eight Watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic (WHHL) rabbits, aged 9 to 18 months, and 8 age-matched controls (New Zealand White rabbits) underwent MRI of the aortic arch before and up to 48 hours after injection of 100 micromol/kg Gadofluorine (Schering AG). Additionally, 8 WHHL rabbits were examined with Magnevist (Schering AG).

Analysis of global systolic and diastolic left ventricular performance using volume-time curves by real-time three-dimensional echocardiography.

Background: Left ventricular (LV) volume-time curves (VTC) have been described to provide quantitative data on the dynamics of global LV performance beyond ejection fraction. However, generation of VTCs by conventional 2-dimensional imaging techniques is inherently limited because of inaccurate geometric volume assumptions. We, therefore, studied whether the new concept of volumetric scanning as realized by real-time 3-dimensional echocardiography (RT-3DE) can be used to provide accurate VTCs.

Radiation exposure during cardiac CT: effective doses at multi-detector row CT and electron-beam CT.

Purpose: To measure the effective radiation doses delivered at electron-beam computed tomography (CT) and multi-detector row spiral CT of coronary arteries and to compare these doses with those delivered at catheter coronary angiography.

Materials And Methods: An anthropomorphic phantom equipped with 66 thermoluminescent dosimeters was imaged at cardiac CT. Four protocols for unenhanced coronary artery calcium scoring were simulated: one with electron-beam CT and three with multi-detector row CT.

Detection and characterization of intracardiac thrombi on MR imaging.

Objective: The aim of our study was to compare the diagnostic accuracy achieved using different MR techniques with the diagnostic accuracy achieved using transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography to detect intracardiac thrombi.

Materials And Methods: Twenty-four patients with known or suspected intracardiac thrombi were examined using MR imaging and echocardiography. All MR examinations were performed on a 1.

Interventional management of aortic dissection.

Background: Modern high-resolution imaging techniques have provided new insights into the pathogenesis of aortic dissection during recent years. Distinct pathologic entities or potential precursors of classic false-lumen aortic dissection such as intramural hematoma or penetrating atherosclerotic ulcer have been identified. As a result, a novel classification according to Svensson used in addition to the standard differentiation according to DeBakey or Stanford has been introduced.

Emergency stent-graft placement for impending rupture of the descending thoracic aorta.

Purpose: To present initial experience with emergent stent-graft placement for impending rupture of the descending thoracic aorta.

Case Reports: Intramural hematoma (IMH) of the descending thoracic aorta was diagnosed by transesophageal echocardiography and computed tomography in 3 patients with acute onset of severe thoracic pain. Because of signs of impending rupture, e.

Whole-body MRI using a rolling table platform for the detection of bone metastases.

The aim of this study was to compare the results of whole-body MRI using a recently developed rolling table platform with findings of nuclear scintigraphy in patients with bone metastases. Twenty-six patients with known or suspected bone metastases who had undergone radionuclide scintigraphy were examined by MRI. Patients were placed on a rolling table platform with integrated phased-array surface coils [BodySURF (system for unlimited field of view)] capable of pulling the patient through the isocenter of the magnet.

Three-dimensional volumetric interpolated breath-hold MR imaging for whole-body tumor staging in less than 15 minutes: a feasibility study.

Objective: The purpose of our study was to evaluate the feasibility and accuracy of three-dimensional (3D) volumetric interpolated breath-hold whole-body MR imaging using CT and nuclear medicine techniques as the standard of reference in patients with metastases.

Conclusion: The 3D volumetric interpolated breath-hold whole-body MR imaging examination for metastases screening correlates well with CT and scintigraphy. The use of the rolling table platform permits rapid whole-body imaging in an average of 11 min.

[Evaluation of myocardial viability with contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging--comparison of the late enhancement technique with positronemission tomography].

Purpose: To compare contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) in the evaluation of myocardial viability.

Methods: [ (18)F]-FDG-PET, [ (201)Tl]-TlCl-SPECT and contrast-enhanced MRI were performed in 29 patients with proven coronary artery disease and impaired left ventricular function to assess myocardial viability. MRI scans were done on a 1.

Real-time three-dimensional echocardiography for improved evaluation of diastolic function using volume-time curves.

Accurate assessment of left ventricular function is of the greatest importance in clinical cardiology for decision making. Diastolic dysfunction is getting more concern as a cause of heart failure while, currently used non-invasive modalities for diagnosing diastolic abnormalities have significant limitations. Dynamic left ventricular volume change was applied for the evaluation of diastolic function by various techniques that have been demonstrated to be of diagnostic value.

Whole-body three-dimensional MR angiography with a rolling table platform: initial clinical experience.

A technique for performing whole-body magnetic resonance (MR) angiography with multi-station three-dimensional MR angiography by using a self-developed rolling table platform that integrates the surface coil was evaluated in three volunteers and 10 patients. Use of the surface coil resulted in high signal-to-noise and contrast-to-noise ratios, which translated into sensitivity and specificity of 95.3% and 95.

[Comparison of gradient-echo and steady state free precession sequences for 3D-navigator MR angiography of coronary arteries].

Aim: Purpose of our study was to compare the image quality of 3D-navigator steady state free precession (SSFP) and gradient echo (GE) sequences for magnetic resonance coronary angiography (MRCA) in volunteers and patients.

Methods: Following informed consent 8 volunteers and 12 patients were included into this study. In all subjects a 3D navigator MRCA of the right and the left coronary artery was performed with a SSFP (TR 3.

Paracardial lipodystrophy versus pericardial effusion in HIV positive patients.

Objective: To present an epicardial manifestation of the lipodystrophy syndrome, a side effect of antiretroviral treatment in HIV positive patients, which illustrates the important danger of false diagnosis.

Patient: A 52 year old man with HIV (stage C3), diagnosed 10 years previously, was being treated with a combination of nelfinavir, nevirapine, and stavudine. Echocardiographic examination showed a low echogenic pericardial space that had increased from 4 mm to 18 mm over a 10 month period.

Optimization of contrast dosage for gadobenate dimeglumine-enhanced high-resolution whole-body 3D magnetic resonance angiography.

Rationale And Objectives: To determine the optimal dose of gadobenate dimeglumine for diagnostic high-resolution whole-body 3D-MR angiography.

Methods: Ten healthy volunteers were examined three times with an ascending dose of Gd-BOPTA (0.1/0.