Low-Dose Chest CT for the Diagnosis of COVID-19—A Systematic, Prospective Comparison With PCR.

Background: Only limited evidence has been available to date on the accuracy of systematic low-dose chest computed tomography (LDCT) use in the diagnosis of COVID-19 in patients with non-specific clinical symptoms.

Methods: The COVID-19 Imaging Registry Study Aachen (COVID-19-Bildgebungs-Register Aachen, COBRA) collects data on imaging in patients with COVID-19. Two of the COBRA partner hospitals (RWTH Aachen University Hospital and Dueren Hospital) systematically perform reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) from nasopharyngeal swabs as well as LDCT in all patients presenting with manifestations that are compatible with COVID-19.

CMR based measurement of aortic stiffness, epicardial fat, left ventricular myocardial strain and fibrosis in hypertensive patients.

Introduction: A combined assessment of different parameters of cardiovascular (CV) risk and prognosis can be supportive and performed with cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR). Aortic stiffness, epicardial fat volume (EFV), left ventricular (LV) strain and fibrosis were evaluated within a single CMR examination and results were related to the presence of hypertension (HTN) and diabetes mellitus (DM).

Methods: 20 healthy controls (57.

Lung cancer screening with MRI: Evaluation of MRI for lung cancer screening by comparison of LDCT- and MRI-derived Lung-RADS categories in the first two screening rounds.

Purpose: To evaluate MRI for lung cancer screening comparing LDCT- and MRI-derived Lung-RADS categories in the first two screening rounds.

Materials And Methods: 224 participants in a lung cancer screening study were examined with MRI and low-dose CT (LDCT). Acquired MRI sequences were T2, balanced, T1 and DWI.

Lung cancer screening with MRI: characterization of nodules with different non-enhanced MRI sequences.

Background: There is increased interest in pulmonary magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as a radiation-free alternative to computed tomography (CT) for lung cancer screening.

Purpose: To analyze MRI characteristics of pulmonary nodules with different non-enhanced sequences.

Material And Methods: Eighty-two participants of a lung cancer screening were included.

Quantitative and Qualitative Assessment of Pulmonary Emphysema with T2-Weighted PROPELLER MRI in a High-Risk Population Compared to Low-Dose CT.

Purpose: To determine the suitability of T2-weighted PROPELLER MRI for the assessment of pulmonary emphysema.

Materials And Methods: 60 participants in a lung cancer screening program (30 subjects with pulmonary emphysema, and 30 control subjects without emphysema) were included for this retrospective study. All subjects were examined with low-dose CT (LDCT) and MRI within the screening program.

Proton density fat fraction (PDFF) MRI for differentiation of benign and malignant vertebral lesions.

Objectives: To investigate whether proton density fat fraction (PDFF) measurements using a six-echo modified Dixon sequence can help to differentiate between benign and malignant vertebral bone marrow lesions.

Methods: Sixty-six patients were prospectively enrolled in our study. In addition to conventional MRI at 3.

Lung cancer screening with MRI: results of the first screening round.

Purpose: To evaluate the suitability of MRI for lung cancer screening in a high-risk population.

Materials And Methods: A 5-year lung cancer screening program comparing MRI and low-dose CT (LDCT) in a high-risk population was initiated. 224 subjects were examined with MRI and LDCT.

Revised PROPELLER for T2-weighted imaging of the prostate at 3 Tesla: impact on lesion detection and PI-RADS classification.

Purpose: To evaluate revised PROPELLER (RevPROP) for T2-weighted imaging (T2WI) of the prostate as a substitute for turbo spin echo (TSE).

Materials And Methods: Three-Tesla MR images of 50 patients with 55 cancer-suspicious lesions were prospectively evaluated. Findings were correlated with histopathology after MRI-guided biopsy.

Cardiac magnetic resonance based evaluation of aortic stiffness and epicardial fat volume in patients with hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and myocardial infarction.

Background Aortic stiffness and epicardial fat relate to cardiovascular risk. Their relationship with each other and their role with hypertension, diabetes mellitus (DM), and myocardial infarction (MI) can be evaluated by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR). Purpose To explore an association between aortic stiffness and epicardial as well as paracardial fat volume (EFV and ParaFV, respectively) in hypertensive patients and to relate the results to the presence of DM and MI.

Interrelations of Epicardial Fat Volume, Left Ventricular T1-Relaxation Times and Myocardial Strain in Hypertensive Patients: A Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Study.

Purpose: This cardiac magnetic resonance study was performed to assess myocardial fibrosis by evaluating T1-relaxation time (T1), to measure left ventricular (LV) strain, and to determine epicardial fat volume (EFV) in hypertensive patients with no history of cardiovascular (CV) events and to relate the results to the presence of coronary atherosclerotic artery disease (CAD) in these patients.

Materials And Methods: A total of 123 subjects were examined at 1.5 T.

In-bore transrectal MRI-guided prostate biopsies: Are there risk factors for complications?

Purpose: To systematically analyze risk factors for complications of in-bore transrectal MRI-guided prostate biopsies (MRGB).

Materials And Methods: 90 patients, who were scheduled for MRGB were included for this study. Exclusion criteria were coagulation disorders, therapy with anticoagulant drugs, and acute infections of the urinary and the lower gastrointestinal tract.

Differentiation of prostatitis and prostate cancer using the Prostate Imaging-Reporting and Data System (PI-RADS).

Purpose: To determine if prostate cancer (PCa) and prostatitis can be differentiated by using PI-RADS.

Materials And Methods: 3T MR images of 68 patients with 85 cancer suspicious lesions were analyzed. The findings were correlated with histopathology.

3D-Dixon cardiac magnetic resonance detects an increased epicardial fat volume in hypertensive men with myocardial infarction.

Purpose: Using a three-dimensional ECG- and respiratory navigator gated magnetization prepared mDixon-sequence (3D-Dixon) we quantified epi- and pericardial fat volumes (EFV, PFV) in hypertensive men compared to a healthy control group and related the amount of fat volumes in hypertensive men to the presence of coronary artery disease (CAD) and myocardial infarction (MI).

Materials And Methods: 55 hypertensive men (mean age 63.02±10.

MRI of the lung using the PROPELLER technique: Artifact reduction, better image quality and improved nodule detection.

Purpose: To evaluate the benefit of the PROPELLER technique (Periodically Rotated Overlapping ParallEL Lines with Enhanced Reconstruction, MultiVane, MV) for MR imaging of the lung.

Materials And Methods: 30 Participants of a lung cancer screening program were recruited for the comparison of T2-MV and T2-Fast Spin Echo (FSE) sequences at 1.5T.

3D-Dixon MRI based volumetry of peri- and epicardial fat.

There is growing evidence that pericardial and epicardial fat volume (PFV, EFV) are associated with cardiovascular risk. We evaluated a novel method for accurate measurement of PFV and EFV using a 3D-Dixon based cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) approach. An electrocardiography triggered and respiratory navigator gated 3D-gradient echo pulse sequence was used for cardiac Dixon imaging.