Joint swelling in the hand in rheumatoid arthritis: agreement between clinical evaluation, ultrasonography, magnetic resonance imaging and patient self-evaluation.

Objective: To describe agreement in detection of joint swelling as the mandatory key of the diagnostic algorithm used in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This was done by comparing clinical examinations, ultrasonography (US), Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and patient self-evaluation of the joints in the wrist and fingers (metacarpophalangeal joints (MCP) and proximal interphalangeal joints (PIP)) in an early untreated RA cohort.

Methods: 14 patients (8 women and 6 men, mean age ± standard deviation: 54.

Myocardial Blood Flow by Magnetic Resonance in Patients With Suspected Coronary Stenosis: Comparison to PET and Invasive Physiology.

Background: Despite recent guideline recommendations, quantitative perfusion (QP) estimates of myocardial blood flow from cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) have only been sparsely validated. Furthermore, the additional diagnostic value of utilizing QP in addition to the traditional visual expert interpretation of stress-perfusion CMR remains unknown. The aim was to investigate the correlation between myocardial blood flow measurements estimated by CMR, positron emission tomography, and invasive coronary thermodilution.

Implementation of ultrasound-guided carpal tunnel release.

Introduction: Ultra-minimally invasive ultrasound-guided carpal tunnel release is a surgical procedure for treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome that is associated with less surgery-related morbidity and faster recovery than open surgery. The objectives of this study were to describe how the surgical technique may be acquired and to report the results obtained after implementation in a clinical setting.

Methods: The study consisted of two parts: 1) description of the surgical skills needed to perform the procedure, and 2) evaluation of the procedure in the first ten consecutively operated patients after 12-month follow-up using questionnaires and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Diagnostic performance of clinical likelihood models of obstructive coronary artery disease to predict myocardial perfusion defects.

Aims: Clinical likelihood (CL) models are designed based on a reference of coronary stenosis in patients with suspected obstructive coronary artery disease. However, a reference standard for myocardial perfusion defects (MPDs) could be more appropriate. We aimed to investigate the ability of the 2019 European Society of Cardiology pre-test probability (ESC-PTP), the risk-factor-weighted (RF-CL) model, and coronary artery calcium score-weighted (CACS-CL) model to diagnose MPDs.

Second-Line Myocardial Perfusion Imaging to Detect Obstructive Stenosis: Head-to-Head Comparison of CMR and PET.

Background: Guidelines recommend verification of myocardial ischemia by selective second-line myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) following a coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) with suspected obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD). Head-to-head data on the diagnostic performance of different MPI modalities in this setting are sparse.

Objectives: The authors sought to compare, head-to-head, the diagnostic performance of selective MPI by 3.

Five-year evaluation of a low-cost quality assurance protocol for clinical ultrasound transducers.

Objective: To implement, execute and evaluate a quality assurance test protocol for clinical ultrasound transducers that is software-based, user-independent, inexpensive, easily repeatable, and does not require tissue phantoms.

Methods: The test protocol is based on in-air reverberation images. The software test tool generates uniformity- and reverberation profiles to monitor system sensitivities and signal uniformities that provide a sensitive analysis of transducer status.

Reliability of reporting differences in degenerative MRI findings of the lumbar spine from the supine to the upright position.

Objective: To determine the inter-rater reliability of identifying differences and types of differences in lumbar degenerative findings comparing supine and upright MRI.

Materials And Methods: Fifty-nine participants, low back pain patients (LBP) with or without leg pain and no-LBP individuals were consecutively enrolled to receive supine and upright MRI of the lumbar spine. Three raters independently evaluated the MRIs for degenerative spinal pathologies and compared for differences.

Colonic volume in patients with functional constipation or irritable bowel syndrome determined by magnetic resonance imaging.

Background: Functional constipation (FC) and irritable bowel syndrome constipation type (IBS-C) share many similarities, and it remains unknown whether they are distinct entities or part of the same spectrum of disease. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) allows quantification of intraluminal fecal volume. We hypothesized that colonic volumes of patients with FC would be larger than those of patients with IBS-C, and that both patient groups would have larger colonic volumes than healthy controls (HC).

Advanced magnetic resonance imaging of chronic whiplash patients: a clinical practice-based feasibility study.

Background: Whiplash injury is common following road traffic crashes affecting millions worldwide, with up to 50% of the injured developing chronic symptoms and 15% having a reduced working capability due to ongoing disability. Many of these patients receive treatment in primary care settings based upon clinical and diagnostic imaging findings. Despite the identification of different types of injuries in the whiplash patients, clinically significant relationships between injuries and chronic symptoms remains to be fully established.

Danish study of Non-Invasive testing in Coronary Artery Disease 2 (Dan-NICAD 2): Study design for a controlled study of diagnostic accuracy.

Background: Coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) is the preferred primary diagnostic modality when examining patients with low to intermediate pre-test probability of coronary artery disease (CAD). Only 20-30% of these have potentially obstructive CAD. Because of the relatively poor positive predictive value of coronary CTA, unnecessary invasive coronary angiographies (ICAs) are conducted with the costs and risks associated with the procedure.

Danish study of Non-Invasive testing in Coronary Artery Disease (Dan-NICAD): study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

Background: Coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) is an established method for ruling out coronary artery disease (CAD). Most patients referred for CCTA do not have CAD and only approximately 20-30 % of patients are subsequently referred to further testing by invasive coronary angiography (ICA) or non-invasive perfusion evaluation due to suspected obstructive CAD. In cases with severe calcifications, a discrepancy between CCTA and ICA often occurs, leading to the well-described, low-diagnostic specificity of CCTA.

Overcoming foetal motion using interactive real-time magnetic resonance imaging.

Objective: Foetal MRI has become an established image modality in the prenatal diagnosis of CNS anomalies, but image quality can be severely affected by foetal movements. The objective was to overcome these inherent motion problems by applying interactive real-time MRI and to evaluate the diagnostic usefulness of the applied real-time MRI sequence in relation to standard protocols.

Methods: Ten healthy foetuses (gestation week 21·3 ± 0·5) were scanned using a system, which allowed visual feedback and interactive slice positioning in real time.

Three-dimensional liver motion tracking using real-time two-dimensional MRI.

Purpose: Combined magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems and linear accelerators for radiotherapy (MR-Linacs) are currently under development. MRI is noninvasive and nonionizing and can produce images with high soft tissue contrast. However, new tracking methods are required to obtain fast real-time spatial target localization.

Feasibility of interactive magnetic resonance imaging of moving anatomy for clinical practice.

Background: Real-time magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) imaging with real-time reconstruction has been available for some time. The technique acquires and presents the MRI images to the operator the instant they are acquired. However, besides guiding purposes, like catheter tracking and placement of electrodes during neurosurgery, the diagnostic value of this method is relatively unexplored.

Three dimensional three component whole heart cardiovascular magnetic resonance velocity mapping: comparison of flow measurements from 3D and 2D acquisitions.

Background: Two-dimensional, unidirectionally encoded, cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) velocity mapping is an established technique for the quantification of blood flow in large vessels. However, it requires an operator to correctly align the planes of acquisition. If all three directional components of velocity are measured for each voxel of a 3D volume through the phases of the cardiac cycle, blood flow through any chosen plane can potentially be calculated retrospectively.

Relation of left ventricular function, mass, and volume to NT-proBNP in type 1 diabetic patients.

Objectives: To measure left ventricular mass (LVM), left ventricular volumes, and left ventricular function (LVF) in a cohort of type 1 diabetic patients and to correlate measures of imaging to NH(2)-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP).

Research Design And Methods: In a cross-sectional study, all patients with type 1 diabetes underwent cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging. We included 63 patients with diabetic nephropathy and 73 patients with normoalbuminuria.