Black-blood MRI at 7T using 2D RARE MRI: In vitro testing and in vivo demonstration.

Vessel walls play a crucial role in many inflammatory vascular diseases. Vessel wall imaging (VWI) using mangnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is one of the few methods by which vessel walls and inflammation can be visualized noninvasively, in vivo, and without ionizing radiation. VWI is based on black-blood (BB) MRI, where the signal from flowing blood is suppressed and contrast agent accumulation in the (inflamed) vessel wall is highlighted.

Spectral imaging and analysis of monophasic CT angiography to assess infarct core and penumbra in acute stroke.

Acute stroke imaging includes native CT, CT-angiography (CTA), and CT-perfusion (CTP). CTP assesses the irreversibly damaged infarct core (IC), and the potentially salvageable penumbra (PEN) and distinguishes these from areas of healthy parenchyma (HA). However, it requires additional contrast agent and radiation.

DWI lesions after intracranial aneurysm treatment with contour or WEB-does the device matter?

Objective: In this study, we report our experience with the occurrence of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) lesions following aneurysm treatment with Woven EndoBridge (WEB) device and Contour Neurovascular System in elective settings. We compared both techniques in a retrospective single-center analysis, to investigate whether there are significant differences in the incidence of microemboli depending on the device used.

Materials And Methods: Sixty-two cases treated with Contour were retrospectively compared with 84 WEB cases.

Detecting optic nerve lesions in multiple sclerosis patients with a 1,5 T MRI: Evaluation of a 3D DIR sequence compared to a 2D STIR sequence.

Objectives: Optic neuritis is a common clinical presentation in patients suffering from multiple sclerosis (MS). Even though optic neuritis is not part of the MS diagnostic criteria, the diagnosis and consideration of differential diagnoses are important in clinical routine. For the evaluation of the optic nerves with MRI, T2-weighted images with fat suppression, known as short tau inversion recovery sequences (STIR), are often used.

AI supported detection of cerebral multiple sclerosis lesions decreases radiologic reporting times.

Purpose: Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a common autoimmune disease of the central nervous system. MRI plays a crucial role in diagnosing as well as in disease and treatment monitoring. Therefore, evaluation of cerebral MRI of MS patients is part of daily clinical routine.

Automatic lesion detection at Multiple Sclerosis patients - Comparison of 2D- and 3D-FLAIR-datasets.

Background: Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a common autoimmune inflammatory disease of the central nervous system (CNS). Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) allows a sensitive assessment of the CNS and is established for diagnostic, prognostic and (therapy-) monitoring purposes. Especially lesion counting in T2- or Fluid Attenuated Inversion Recovery (FLAIR)-weighted images plays a decisive role in clinical routine.

Assessment of intracranial aneurysm neck deformation after contour deployment.

Purpose: The contour neurovascular system (CNS) is a novel device to treat intracranial wide-necked bifurcation aneurysms, with few studies assessing its long-term effects. Particularly its impact on aneurysm morphology has not been explored yet. We present a preliminary study to explore this impact for the first time, focusing on the neck curve and ostium of the aneurysm.

Perivascular spaces and where to find them - MR imaging and evaluation methods.

Background: Perivascular spaces (synonym: Virchow-Robin spaces) were first described over 150 years ago. They are defined as the fluid-filled spaces surrounding the small penetrating cerebral vessels. They gained growing scientific interest especially with the postulation of the so-called glymphatic system and their possible role in neurodegenerative and neuroinflammatory diseases.

Contour device implantation for treatment of intracranial aneurysms in the basilar tip.

Introduction: Treatment of basilar apex aneurysms will remain challenging regarding the nobility of the parent vessel and their often wide-necked configuration. With endovascular techniques being the treatment approach of choice, novel intrasaccular flow-disruption devices constitute an endovascular embolization option. In this research, we report our experiences in embolizing basilar tip aneurysms with the novel Contour device.

Intra-cranial aneurysm treatment with contour or WEB - a single center comparison of intervention times and learning curves.

Background And Purpose: Treating aneurysms with intra-saccular flow disruption is a feasible alternative to coil-embolization. Besides the established WEB device, the novel Contour Neurovascular System has emerged as a potentially easier alternative regarding sizing and deployment. We report the learning curve experienced at our center from the first 48 patients treated with Contour and compared it with 48 consecutive WEB cases.

Spectral cardiac CT in acute stroke patients.

Cardiac CT obtained in acute ischemic stroke patients can facilitate timely detection of cardiac sources of embolism and guide secondary prevention strategies. Spectral CT exploiting the simultaneous acquisition of separate higher-energy and lower-energy photon spectrum datasets has the potential to improve contrast between thrombi and cardiac structures. This study aimed to investigate the diagnostic value of spectral cardiac CT compared to conventional CT for the detection of cardiac thrombi in acute stroke patients.

Deep learning-based semantic vessel graph extraction for intracranial aneurysm rupture risk management.

Purpose: Intracranial aneurysms are vascular deformations in the brain which are complicated to treat. In clinical routines, the risk assessment of intracranial aneurysm rupture is simplified and might be unreliable, especially for patients with multiple aneurysms. Clinical research proposed more advanced analysis of intracranial aneurysm, but requires many complex preprocessing steps.

Geometric uncertainty in intracranial aneurysm rupture status discrimination: a two-site retrospective study.

Objectives: Assessing the risk associated with unruptured intracranial aneurysms (IAs) is essential in clinical decision making. Several geometric risk parameters have been proposed for this purpose. However, performance of these parameters has been inconsistent.

Influence of Spatial Resolution and Compressed SENSE Acceleration Factor on Flow Quantification with 4D Flow MRI at 3 Tesla.

Four-dimensional (4D) flow MRI allows quantifying flow in blood vessels-non invasively and in vivo. The clinical use of 4D flow MRI in small vessels, however, is hampered by long examination times and limited spatial resolution. Compressed SENSE (CS-SENSE) is a technique that can accelerate 4D flow dramatically.

Luminal enhancement in intracranial aneurysms: fact or feature?-A quantitative multimodal flow analysis.

Purpose: Intracranial aneurysm (IA) wall enhancement on post-contrast vessel wall magnetic resonance imaging (VW-MRI) is assumed to be a biomarker for vessel wall inflammation and aneurysm instability. However, the exact factors contributing to enhancement are not yet clarified. This study investigates the relationship between luminal enhancement and intra-aneurysmal flow behaviour to assess the suitability of VW-MRI as a surrogate method for determining quantitative and qualitative flow behaviour in the aneurysm sac.

Definition and extraction of 2D shape indices of intracranial aneurysm necks for rupture risk assessment.

Purpose: Intracranial aneurysms are local dilations of brain vessels. Their rupture, as well as their treatment, is associated with high risk of morbidity and mortality. In this work, we propose shape indices for aneurysm ostia for the rupture risk assessment of intracranial aneurysms.

Diagnostic Accuracy of Dual-Layer Spectral CT Using Electron Density Images to Detect Post-Traumatic Prevertebral Hematoma of the Cervical Spine.

Purpose:  To investigate the diagnostic value of dual-layer spectral detector computed tomography (SDCT) in detecting posttraumatic prevertebral hematoma of the cervical spine by including electron density images.

Methods:  38 patients with post-traumatic imaging of the cervical spine were included in this study and received both SDCT and MRI examinations. MRI was set as the reference and combined conventional/electron density (C + ED) images were compared to conventional CT (CCT) images alone.

Imaging Inflammation - From Whole Body Imaging to Cellular Resolution.

Imaging techniques have evolved impressively lately, allowing whole new concepts like multimodal imaging, personal medicine, theranostic therapies, and molecular imaging to increase general awareness of possiblities of imaging to medicine field. Here, we have collected the selected (3D) imaging modalities and evaluated the recent findings on preclinical and clinical inflammation imaging. The focus has been on the feasibility of imaging to aid in inflammation precision medicine, and the key challenges and opportunities of the imaging modalities are presented.

Pseudo-Enhancement in Intracranial Aneurysms on Black-Blood MRI: Effects of Flow Rate, Spatial Resolution, and Additional Flow Suppression.

Background: Vessel-wall enhancement (VWE) on black-blood MRI (BB MRI) has been proposed as an imaging marker for a higher risk of rupture and associated with wall inflammation. Whether VWE is causally linked to inflammation or rather induced by flow phenomena has been a subject of debate.

Purpose: To study the effects of slow flow, spatial resolution, and motion-sensitized driven equilibrium (MSDE) preparation on signal intensities in BB MRI of patient-specific aneurysm flow models.