An optimized 1.5 Tesla MRI protocol of the brachial plexus.

Purpose: Creating an effective MRI protocol for examining the brachial plexus poses significant challenges, and despite the abundance of protocols in the literature, there is a lack of reference standards for basic sequences and essential parameters needed for replication. The aim of this study is to establish a reproducible 1.5 T brachial plexus imaging protocol, including patient positioning, coil selection, imaging planes, and essential sequence parameters.

Ultrasound elastography in chronic kidney disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Ultrasound elastography (USE) is a noninvasive technique for assessing tissue elasticity, and its application in nephrology has aroused growing interest in recent years. The purpose of this article is to systematically review the clinical application of USE in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), including native and transplanted kidneys, and quantitatively investigate differences in elasticity values between healthy individuals and CKD patients. Furthermore, we provide a qualitative analysis of the studies included, discussing the potential interplay between renal stiffness, estimated glomerular filtration rate, and fibrosis.

Non-contrast MR dacryocystography for the evaluation of epiphora and recurrent dacryocystitis: A preliminary study.

Introduction: Obstruction of the lacrimal drainage represents a common ophthalmologic issue. The blockage may interest any level of the lacrimal drainage pathway, and it is important to find the site of obstruction to plan the most appropriate treatment. In this study, findings from magnetic resonance (MR) dacryocystography were compared with findings from endoscopic and surgical procedures to evaluate the accuracy of MR dacryocystography in localizing the site of nasolacrimal duct obstruction.

Texture analysis and machine learning to predict water T2 and fat fraction from non-quantitative MRI of thigh muscles in Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy.

Purpose: Quantitative MRI (qMRI) plays a crucial role for assessing disease progression and treatment response in neuromuscular disorders, but the required MRI sequences are not routinely available in every center. The aim of this study was to predict qMRI values of water T2 (wT2) and fat fraction (FF) from conventional MRI, using texture analysis and machine learning.

Method: Fourteen patients affected by Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy were imaged at both thighs using conventional and quantitative MR sequences.

Variable echo time imaging for detecting the short T2* components of the sciatic nerve: a validation study.

Objective: The aim of this study was to develop and validate an MRI protocol based on a variable echo time (vTE) sensitive to the short T2* components of the sciatic nerve.

Materials And Methods: 15 healthy subjects (M/F: 9/6; age: 21-62) were scanned at 3T targeting the sciatic nerve at the thigh bilaterally, using a dual echo variable echo time (vTE) sequence (based on a spoiled gradient echo acquisition) with echo times of 0.98/5.