Performance of respiratory gated 4D flow MRI with adaptive k-space reordering in healthy controls and aortic dissection: reproducibility and agreement with 2D phase contrast MRI.

A four-dimensional phase-contrast magnetic resonance imaging sequence with respiratory-controlled adaptive k-space reordering (ReCAR-4DPC) offers potential benefits of improved scan efficiency and motion robustness. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the reproducibility of flow measurement using this technique and to compare hemodynamic metrics obtained to two-dimensional phase contrast MRI (2DPC)-derived metrics of the thoracic aorta. ReCAR-4DPC was performed with identical scan parameters in 15 healthy volunteers (6M,9F, mean [range] 37 [23-47] years) and 11 patients with thoracic aortic dissection (6M,5F, 56 [31-81] years) and acquisition time was recorded.

Diagnosis of bicuspid aortic valves: CT vs. TTE.

Bicuspid aortic valfves (BAV) are a relatively common cardiac abnormality, with an associated risk of aortic stenosis, aortic regurgitation and aortopathy. First-line diagnosis is via transthoracic echocardiography (TTE), which may be impacted by valve calcification and operator variability. Electrocardiogram-gated computed tomography (CT) offers an alternative form of assessment.

Impact of an automated report comparison tool on trainee report modification rate at a tertiary hospital.

Aim: This study aims to compare trainee-modified report percentage rate and trainee/consultant satisfaction regarding the feedback process before and after implementation of an automated report comparison tool.

Materials And Methods: An automated report comparison tool utilising natural language processing, presenting the trainee's preliminary report beside the final consultant report with changes highlighted, was used in a prospective interventional study. Modification rates, including character counts, of co-authored computed tomography (CT) studies were recorded before and after tool implementation over two 6-month periods and compared with Student's t-test.

Opportunistic screening for osteoporosis using routine clinical care computed tomography brain studies.

Objective: Osteoporosis and falls are both prevalent in the elderly, and CT brain (CTB) is frequently performed post head-strike. We aim to validate the relationship between frontal bone density (Hounsfield unit) from routine CTB and bone mineral density from dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scan for opportunistic osteoporosis screening.

Materials And Methods: Patients who had a non-contrast CTB followed by a DEXA scan in the subsequent year were included in this multi-center retrospective study.

Enhancing pre-transplant cardiac assessment: Validation and utility of the CAD-LT score with CCTA in liver transplant candidates.

Background: Coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) is increasingly being used in the preoperative workup for liver transplantation (LT). We sought to assess the utility of integrating CCTA with the novel CAD-LT (Coronary Artery Disease in Liver Transplantation) score and its impact on reducing the need for invasive coronary angiography prior to LT.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of consecutive patients (age ≥ 18 years) who underwent CCTA for LT workup between 2011 and 2018 at the Victorian Liver Transplant Unit, Melbourne, Australia.

Automated inversion time selection for late gadolinium-enhanced cardiac magnetic resonance imaging.

Objectives: To develop and share a deep learning method that can accurately identify optimal inversion time (TI) from multi-vendor, multi-institutional and multi-field strength inversion scout (TI scout) sequences for late gadolinium enhancement cardiac MRI.

Materials And Methods: Retrospective multicentre study conducted on 1136 1.5-T and 3-T cardiac MRI examinations from four centres and three scanner vendors.

Differential sensitivities to blood pressure variations in internal carotid and intracranial arteries: a numerical approach to stroke prediction.

Stroke remains a global health concern, necessitating early prediction for effective management. Atherosclerosis-induced internal carotid and intra cranial stenosis contributes significantly to stroke risk. This study explores the relationship between blood pressure and stroke prediction, focusing on internal carotid artery (ICA) branches: middle cerebral artery (MCA), anterior cerebral artery (ACA), and their role in hemodynamics.

Assessment of inspiration and technical quality in anteroposterior thoracic radiographs using machine learning.

Introduction: Chest radiographs are the most performed radiographic procedure, but suboptimal technical factors can impact clinical interpretation. A deep learning model was developed to assess technical and inspiratory adequacy of anteroposterior chest radiographs.

Methods: Adult anteroposterior chest radiographs (n = 2375) were assessed for technical adequacy, and if otherwise technically adequate, for adequacy of inspiration.

Atherosclerosis on CT coronary angiography and the risk of long-term cardiovascular events after liver transplantation.

Computed tomography coronary angiography (CTCA) is increasingly utilized for preoperative risk stratification before liver transplantation (LT). We sought to assess the predictors of advanced atherosclerosis on CTCA using the recently developed Coronary Artery Disease-Reporting and Data System (CAD-RADS) score and its impact on the prediction of long-term major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) following LT. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of consecutive patients who underwent CTCA for LT work-up between 2011 and 2018.

Merging virtual and physical experiences: extended realities in cardiovascular medicine.

Technological advancement and the COVID-19 pandemic have brought virtual learning and working into our daily lives. Extended realities (XR), an umbrella term for all the immersive technologies that merge virtual and physical experiences, will undoubtedly be an indispensable part of future clinical practice. The intuitive and three-dimensional nature of XR has great potential to benefit healthcare providers and empower patients and physicians.

Contemporary and Emerging MRI Strategies for Assessing Kidney Allograft Complications: Arterial Stenosis and Parenchymal Injury, From the Special Series on Imaging of Fibrosis.

MRI plays an important role in the evaluation of kidney allografts for vascular complications as well as parenchymal insults. Transplant renal artery stenosis, the most common vascular complication of kidney transplant, can be evaluated by MRA using gadolinium and nongadolinium contrast agents as well as by unenhanced MRA techniques. Parenchymal injury occurs through a variety of pathways, including graft rejection, acute tubular injury, BK polyomavirus infection, drug-induced interstitial nephritis, and pyelonephritis.

Leaf litter breakdown along an elevational gradient in Australian alpine streams.

The breakdown of allochthonous organic matter, is a central step in nutrient cycling in stream ecosystems. There is concern that increased temperatures from climate change will alter the breakdown rate of organic matter, with important consequences for the ecosystem functioning of alpine streams. This study investigated the rate of leaf litter breakdown and how temperature and other factors such as microbial and invertebrate activities influenced this over elevational and temporal gradients.

MRI in CFD for chronic type B aortic dissection: Ready for prime time?

Objectives: Better tools are needed for risk assessment of Type B aortic dissection (TBAD) to determine optimal treatment for patients with uncomplicated disease. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has the potential to inform computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations for TBAD by providing individualised quantification of haemodynamic parameters, for assessment of complication risks. This systematic review aims to present an overview of MRI applications for CFD studies of TBAD.

CardiSort: a convolutional neural network for cross vendor automated sorting of cardiac MR images.

Objectives: To develop an image-based automatic deep learning method to classify cardiac MR images by sequence type and imaging plane for improved clinical post-processing efficiency.

Methods: Multivendor cardiac MRI studies were retrospectively collected from 4 centres and 3 vendors. A two-head convolutional neural network ('CardiSort') was trained to classify 35 sequences by imaging sequence (n = 17) and plane (n = 10).

Functional MRI in assessment of diabetic kidney disease in people with type 1 diabetes.

Aims: To compare levels of renal hypoxia measured by Blood Oxygen Level Dependent (BOLD) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with measured transverse relaxation rate (R2*) and renal structural changes including apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and fractional anisotropy (FA) in patients with type 1 diabetes and healthy controls.

Methods: Cohort study comparing MRI metrics in type 1 diabetes (n = 32, GFR 105 (77, 120) ml/min.1.

Impact of Image Reconstruction Parameters on Abdominal Aortic Calcification Measurement Using Abdominal Computed Tomography.

Background And Aims: Abdominal aortic calcification (AAC) is correlated with cardiovascular outcomes independent of traditional risk factors. Quantification of AAC on computed tomography (CT) has not been standardized. Reconstruction parameters have been shown to impact coronary calcium scores.

MR Angiography Series: Fundamentals of Non-Contrast-enhanced MR Angiography.

Unlike CT angiography, which requires the use of contrast medium, MR angiography (MRA) can be performed without the use of contrast agents. This subfield of MRA is referred to as non-contrast-enhanced MRA (NC-MRA). While NC-MRA can be performed in many patients, it is especially useful in the imaging of pediatric and pregnant patients, as well as in patients with renal impairment.

Geometric Distortion Correction of Renal Diffusion Tensor Imaging Using the Reversed Gradient Method.

Renal echo planar diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) has clinical potential but suffers from geometric distortion. We evaluated feasibility of reversed gradient distortion correction in 10 diabetic patients and 6 volunteers. Renal area, apparent diffusion coefficient, fractional anisotropy, and tensor eigenvalues were measured on uncorrected and distortion-corrected DTI.

Consensus-Based Technical Recommendations for Clinical Translation of Renal Phase Contrast MRI.

Background: Phase-contrast (PC) MRI is a feasible and valid noninvasive technique to measure renal artery blood flow, showing potential to support diagnosis and monitoring of renal diseases. However, the variability in measured renal blood flow values across studies is large, most likely due to differences in PC-MRI acquisition and processing. Standardized acquisition and processing protocols are therefore needed to minimize this variability and maximize the potential of renal PC-MRI as a clinically useful tool.

Noncontrast Magnetic Resonance Angiography in the Era of Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis and Gadolinium Deposition.

Gadolinium-based contrast agents for clinical magnetic resonance imaging are overall safe. However, the discovery of nephrogenic systemic fibrosis in patients with severe renal impairment and gadolinium deposition in patients receiving contrast have generated developments in contrast-free imaging of the vasculature, that is, noncontrast magnetic resonance angiography. This article presents an update on noncontrast magnetic resonance angiography techniques, with comparison to other imaging alternatives.

Arrhythmia insensitive rapid cardiac T1 mapping: comparison to modified look locker inversion recovery T1 mapping in mitral valve prolapse patients.

We compare a saturation recovery arrhythmia insensitive rapid (AIR) T1 mapping technique which is less sensitive to heart rate and requires shorter breath-holds to modified Look-Locker inversion recovery (MOLLI) T1 mapping in patients with mitral valve prolapse. 55 patients underwent AIR and MOLLI at 1.5 T.

Four-Dimensional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Assessment of Intracranial Aneurysms: A State-of-the-Art Review.

Treatment of unruptured intracranial aneurysms can reduce the risk of subarachnoid hemorrhage and its associated morbidity and mortality. However, current methods to predict the risk of rupture and optimize treatment strategies for intracranial aneurysms are limited. Assessment of intra-aneurysmal flow using 4-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging (4D MRI) is a novel tool that could be used to guide therapy.

Accuracy of non-contrast quiescent-interval single-shot and quiescent-interval single-shot arterial spin-labelled magnetic resonance angiography in assessment of peripheral arterial disease in a diabetic population.

Introduction: Diabetic patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) are challenging to assess. Non-contrast magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) offers a safe alternative in patients with renal impairment. The study objective is to evaluate accuracy of lower limb quiescent-interval single-shot (QISS) MRA and pedal QISS-arterial spin-labelled (ASL) MRA for detection of significant stenosis in diabetic patients with PAD.

Correction to: Consensus-based technical recommendations for clinical translation of renal diffusion-weighted MRI.

The article Consensus-based technical recommendations for clinical translation of renal diffusion-weighted MRI.