The Capabilities and Limitations of Clinical Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Detecting Kidney Stones: A Retrospective Study.

The purpose of this work was to investigate the performance of currently available magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for detecting kidney stones, compared to computed tomography (CT) results, and to determine the characteristics of successfully detected stones. Patients who had undergone both abdominal/pelvic CT and MRI exams within 30 days were studied. The images were reviewed by two expert radiologists blinded to the patients' respective radiological diagnoses.

Safety and technique of ferumoxytol administration for MRI.

Ferumoxytol is an ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide agent marketed for the treatment of anemia. There has been increasing interest in its properties as an MRI contrast agent as well as greater awareness of its adverse event profile. This mini-review summarizes the current state of knowledge of the risks of ferumoxytol and methods of administration.

Detection of different kidney stone types: an ex vivo comparison of ultrashort echo time MRI to reference standard CT.

Background And Purpose: With the development of ultrashort echo time (UTE) sequences, it may now be possible to detect kidney stones by using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In this study, kidney stones of varying composition and sizes were imaged using both UTE MRI as well as the reference standard of computed tomography (CT), with different surrounding materials and scan setups.

Methods: One hundred and fourteen kidney stones were inserted into agarose and urine phantoms and imaged both on a dual-energy CT (DECT) scanner using a standard renal stone imaging protocol and on an MRI scanner using the UTE sequence with both head and body surface coils.

Association Between Advances in High-Resolution Cross-Section Imaging Technologies and Increase in Prevalence of Pancreatic Cysts From 2005 to 2014.

Background & Aims: Increasingly, pancreatic cysts are discovered incidentally in patients undergoing cross-sectional imaging for nonpancreatic reasons. It is unclear whether this increase is caused by improved detection by progressively more sophisticated cross-sectional imaging techniques or by a true increase in prevalence. We aimed to determine the prevalence of incidental pancreatic cysts in patients undergoing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for nonpancreatic indications on successive, increasingly sophisticated MRI systems.

Kidney stone imaging with 3D ultra-short echo time (UTE) magnetic resonance imaging. A phantom study.

Computed tomography (CT) is the current gold standard for imaging kidney stones, albeit at the cost of radiation exposure. Conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences are insensitive to detecting the stones because of their appearance as a signal void. With the development of 2D ultra-short echo-time (UTE) MRI sequences, it becomes possible to image kidney stones in vitro.

Sclerosing variant of well-differentiated liposarcoma: relative prevalence and spectrum of CT and MRI features.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the relative prevalence of the sclerosing variant of well-differentiated liposarcoma at one institution and to elucidate the CT and MRI characteristics of this subtype of well-differentiated liposarcoma.

Materials And Methods: A retrospective computerized search was conducted to calculate the relative prevalence of the sclerosing variant of well-differentiated liposarcoma among all well-differentiated liposarcoma subtypes at one institution. The MRI and CT features of a total of 19 cases of pathologically proven sclerosing variant of well-differentiated liposarcoma were evaluated (seven identified from the study institution database and 12 cases contributed by other institutions).

Current developments and recent advances in musculoskeletal tumor imaging.

The radiologic evaluation of musculoskeletal masses has changed dramatically within recent years. This article addresses the current developments and recent advances in musculoskeletal tumor imaging. We include new MR imaging techniques to better define anatomy, especially in difficult to image areas such as the chest wall and abdomen; the use of chemical shift imaging to separate hematopoietic marrow from pathologic marrow infiltration; as well as the use of diffusion and spectroscopy to help distinguish benign and malignant processes.

Impact of neoadjuvant chemoradiation on the tumor burden before liver transplantation for unresectable cholangiocarcinoma.

The very early experience with liver transplantation (LT) for cholangiocarcinoma (CC) was dismal because of the poor survival outcomes and the high recurrence rates. However, LT for CC in conjunction with neoadjuvant chemoradiation recently has shown encouraging results, although the data are extremely limited. At our institution between 2001 and 2008, 22 CC patients underwent protocol orthotopic LT at a median age of 45 years (range = 24-63 years).

Extrahepatic portal biliopathy: proposed etiology on the basis of anatomic and clinical features.

Purpose: To compare the anatomic and clinical features in patients with chronic portal vein thrombosis (PVT) to determine why some patients develop portal biliopathy (PB) while most do not and propose an etiology for PB.

Materials And Methods: This project satisfied HIPAA regulations and received institutional review board approval for a retrospective review without the need for consent. From 100 patients with PVT, 60 were extracted who had chronic, nonmalignant PVT, after exclusion of those with sclerosing cholangitis, liver transplants, choledocholithiasis, or portosystemic shunts.

Large sample of nephrogenic systemic fibrosis cases from a single institution.

Objectives: To estimate and stratify the risk of development of nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF) in well-defined at-risk subpopulations from a large single institution, and to perform a single-institution case series study of patients with biopsy-proven NSF.

Design: Retrospective cohort of patients exposed to gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs) at a single institution during an 8-year period (January 1, 1999, to December 31, 2006), and a case series study of patients with biopsy-proven NSF.

Setting: A primary, secondary, and tertiary health care center that treated more than 2.

Aberrant right hepatic arterial anatomy and pancreaticoduodenectomy: recognition, prevalence and management.

Background: Aberrant arterial anatomy is a common finding during foregut surgery. Anomalies to the right hepatic lobe are especially relevant during pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) and their recognition serves to protect the blood supply to the liver and bile ducts. We report our experience with aberrant right hepatic arterial anatomy (ARHAA) found during PD.

High-dose gadodiamide for catheter angiography and CT in patients with varying degrees of renal insufficiency: Prevalence of subsequent nephrogenic systemic fibrosis and decline in renal function.

Objective: The purpose of our study was to evaluate the prevalence of nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF) and nephrotoxicity among patients with differing degrees of renal dysfunction who are exposed to high doses of gadodiamide.

Materials And Methods: A search of medical records identified patients who received high-dose IV gadodiamide for catheter angiography or CT between January 2002 and December 2005. The cohort was limited to patients who had received a dose of at least 40 mL of gadodiamide during a single imaging session, who underwent at least 1 year of clinical follow-up, and who had moderate to end-stage renal disease (estimated glomerular filtration rate [GFR] < 60 mL/min/1.

Magnetic resonance imaging of the sacral plexus and piriformis muscles.

Objective: The objective was to evaluate the piriformis muscles and their relationship to the sacral nerve roots on T1-weighted MRI in patients with no history or clinical suspicion of piriformis syndrome.

Patients And Methods: Axial oblique and sagittal T1-weighted images of the sacrum were obtained in 100 sequential patients (200 pairs of sacral roots) undergoing routine MRI examinations. The relationship of the sacral nerve roots to the piriformis muscles and piriformis muscle size were evaluated, as were clinical symptoms via a questionnaire.

Gallbladder lymphangioma: a case report and review of the literature.

Lymphangiomas are benign neoplasms usually occurring in childhood and located in the head and neck. Intraabdominal lymphangiomas account for less than 5% of cases. The involvement of the gallbladder is rare.

Urethral bulking agents: imaging review.

Objective: At imaging, injectable bulking materials used for urinary incontinence have the potential to mimic urethral and periurethral pathology. This article elucidates the appearance of the most commonly used agents in multiple techniques and helps the practicing radiologist avoid potential diagnostic pitfalls.

Conclusion: Carbon-coated microbeads (Durasphere) and cross-linked bovine collagen (Contigen) have fairly characteristic imaging appearances and can in most cases be differentiated from true pathology.

Diagnosing biliary complications of orthotopic liver transplantation with mangafodipir trisodium-enhanced MR cholangiography: comparison with conventional MR cholangiography.

Objective: This study was designed to determine whether the addition of mangafodipir trisodium-enhanced MRI could improve the image quality, visualization of ductal structures, and diagnostic confidence provided by conventional T2-based MR cholangiography (MRC) in patients with suspected biliary complications after orthotopic liver transplantation. SUBJECTS AND METHODS. Our study group consisted of 25 consecutive patients who were referred for MR evaluation of clinically suspected biliary complications after orthotopic liver transplantation.

Incidence of occult rectal prolapse in patients with clinical rectoceles and defecatory dysfunction.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of occult rectal prolapse (rectal intussusception) by defecating proctography in patients with clinical rectoceles and defecatory dysfunction.

Study Design: Patients who were seen from September 2000 through August 2001 with defecatory dysfunction and clinical rectoceles underwent single contrast defecating proctography. Radiologists who specialized in gastrointestinal fluoroscopy interpreted the results, which were retrieved from a computerized database.