Added value of diffusion-weighted acquisitions in MRI of the abdomen and pelvis.

Objective: The purpose of this article is to review abdominopelvic applications of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), discuss advantages and limitations of DWI, and illustrate these with examples.

Conclusion: High-quality abdominopelvic DWI can be performed routinely on current MRI systems and may offer added value in image interpretation. Particularly in unenhanced MRI examinations, DWI may provide an alternative source of image contrast and improved conspicuity to identify and potentially characterize pathology.

Simultaneous measurement of tissue oxygen level-dependent (TOLD) and blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) effects in abdominal tissue oxygenation level studies.

Purpose: To assess oxygenation in abdominal organs with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), a novel approach is presented to simultaneously measure both T1 - and T2*-maps serially during a single dynamic MRI scan in response to an oxygen challenge.

Materials And Methods: The proposed acquisition scheme consists of a multishot multiecho gradient echo planar imaging sequence (ms-GEPI) interleaved with a multishot inversion recovery echo planar imaging (ms-IR-EPI) sequence. Respiratory motion compensation was accomplished with standard belt triggering and by acquiring all image data at the same phase of expiration.

Utility of clinical parameters, cystourethroscopy, and magnetic resonance imaging in the preoperative diagnosis of urethral diverticula.

Introduction And Hypothesis: Our purpose was to assess the accuracy of history and physical, cystourethroscopy, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in preoperative diagnosis of urethral diverticula.

Methods: This was a retrospective review of all patients who underwent surgical excision of periurethral masses between 1998 and 2009. Presenting symptoms and examination and cystourethroscopic findings were noted.

Oxygenation in cervical cancer and normal uterine cervix assessed using blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) MRI at 3T.

Hypoxia is reported to be a biomarker for poor prognosis in cervical cancer. However, a practical noninvasive method is needed for the routine clinical evaluation of tumor hypoxia. This study examined the potential use of blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) contrast MRI as a noninvasive technique to assess tumor vascular oxygenation at 3T.

Compressive sensing could accelerate 1H MR metabolic imaging in the clinic.

Purpose: To retrospectively evaluate the fidelity of magnetic resonance (MR) spectroscopic imaging data preservation at a range of accelerations by using compressed sensing.

Materials And Methods: The protocols were approved by the institutional review board of the university, and written informed consent to acquire and analyze MR spectroscopic imaging data was obtained from the subjects prior to the acquisitions. This study was HIPAA compliant.