Coronary high-intensity plaque on T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging and its association with myocardial injury after percutaneous coronary intervention.

Aims: Non-contrast T1-weighted imaging (T1WI) has emerged as a novel non-invasive imaging for vulnerable coronary plaque showing a high-intensity plaque (HIP). However, the association between HIP and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has not been evaluated. We investigated the association between the presence of HIP and the incidence of myocardial injury after PCI.

Noninvasive visualization of endoleaks after endovascular aortic aneurysm repair through unenhanced MRI with motion-sensitized driven equilibrium preparation: Phantom experiments.

Purpose: To optimize imaging parameters for balanced turbo field echo (BTFE) sequence combined with motion-sensitized driven equilibrium (MSDE) preparation for endoleak detection and type classification in phantom experiments.

Materials And Methods: We prepared four phantoms: a pulsatile flow generator with an aortic aneurysm model simulating no endoleak, and a type-1, type-2, and type-3 endoleak. Throughout the experiments, MSDE-BTFE images with and without flow suppression were obtained at 1.

Prospective intraindividual comparison of unenhanced magnetic resonance imaging vs contrast-enhanced computed tomography for the planning of endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair.

Objective: This study clarified whether unenhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an alternative to contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) for aortoiliac arterial measurement before endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR).

Methods: The institutional review board approved this prospective study. Twenty patients being considered for EVAR underwent MRI using a steady-state free-precession sequence in a 1.

Fractional anisotropy values of calf muscles in normative state after exercise: preliminary results.

Purpose: We measured fractional anisotropy (FA) of calf muscles from diffusion tensor (DT) images from simultaneous scanning of bilateral calves and determined changes in values after unilateral exercise loading.

Method: We obtained DT images of both calves of 10 healthy male volunteers and measured FA of the anterior tibialis, gastrocnemius, and soleus muscles. Two of the ten were subjected to loaded exercise in their right calves; we recorded FA values immediately after exercise and 24 hours, 72 hours, and 1 week later.

Prone positioning improves distribution of pulmonary perfusion: noninvasive magnetic resonance imaging study in healthy humans.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of prone positioning on pulmonary perfusion using flow-sensitive alternating inversion recovery (FAIR), a noninvasive magnetic resonance imaging technique that requires no contrast medium. Seven healthy volunteers were studied in the supine and prone positions under three respiratory conditions: normal breathing of room air, unassisted breathing of 45% O2, and controlled mechanical ventilation (CMV) with positive end-expiratory pressure. Signal intensities (SIs) were obtained from ventral, middle, and dorsal regions on sagittal lung images and dependent/nondependent SI ratios were calculated to evaluate pulmonary perfusion distribution.

Comparison of delayed myocardial enhancement in the early and late phase after contrast injection: is it possible to reduce the examination time for myocardial viability study?

Objectives: We studied whether we can obtain a myocardial viability study immediately after contrast injection to reduce the whole cardiac MR examination time.

Materials And Methods: We examined 36 patients with cardiovascular abnormality on comprehensive cardiac MRI. T1-weighted images with inversion recovery (IR) were obtained 5 min after stress perfusion with 0.

Comparison between high-resolution MRI with a microscopy coil and arthroscopy in triangular fibrocartilage complex injury.

Purpose: To determine whether high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) could detect injuries to the triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC).

Methods: Eleven patients who showed both a positive sign during the ulnocarpal stress test and tenderness at the distal end of the ulna had a high-resolution MRI using a 47-mm diameter microscopy coil. Six regions of the TFCC were investigated for injury: the radial attachment, disc, ulnar attachment of the triangular fibrocartilage (TFC), ulnotriquetral ligament, palmar radioulnar ligament (PRUL), and dorsal radioulnar ligament (DRUL).

High-resolution MR imaging of the proximal zone of the lunotriquetral ligament with a microscopy coil.

Objective: To evaluate high-resolution MRI of the proximal zone of the lunotriquetral ligament (LTL) using a microscopy surface coil with a 1.5 T scanner.

Design And Subjects: The proximal zone of the LTL was reviewed in 90 subjects (23 asymptomatic normal volunteers and 67 patients with suspicion of triangular fibrocartilage complex injury) with high-resolution MRI using a 47-mm microscopy surface coil.

High-resolution MR imaging of the elbow using a microscopy surface coil and a clinical 1.5 T MR machine: preliminary results.

Objective: To obtain high-resolution MR images of the elbow using a microscopy surface coil with a 1.5 T clinical machine and to evaluate the feasibility of its use for elbow injuries.

Design And Patients: Five asymptomatic normal volunteers and 13 patients with elbow pain were prospectively studied with MR imaging using a microscopy surface coil 47 mm in diameter.

High-resolution MR imaging of triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC): comparison of microscopy coils and a conventional small surface coil.

Objective: To compare MR images of the triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC) using microscopy coils with those using a conventional surface coil qualitatively and quantitatively.

Design And Patients: Proton density-weighted images and T2*-weighted images of the TFCC from ten normal volunteers were obtained with a conventional surface coil (C4 coil; 80 mm in diameter), a 47-mm microscopy surface coil and a 23-mm microscopy surface coil) at 1.5 T.

A decidualized endometrial cyst in a pregnant woman: a case observed with a steady-state free precession imaging sequence.

Decidual changes of the ectopic endometrial stroma during pregnancy are well known among pathologists and obstetricians. However, they appear very similar to endometrial cysts with malignant transformation when imaged. Balanced fast field echo (BFFE) is a steady-state free precession imaging sequence and its contrast is decided by the T1/T2 ratio.