Imaging of the Left Atrial Appendage Before Occluder Device Placement: Evaluation of Virtual Monoenergetic Images in a Single-Bolus Dual-Phase Protocol.

Purpose: Preimplantation cardiac computed tomography (CT) for assessment of the left atrial appendage (LAA) enables correct sizing of the device and the detection of contraindications, such as thrombi. In the arterial phase, distinction between false filling defects and true thrombi can be hampered by insufficient contrast medium distribution. A delayed scan can be used to further differentiate both conditions, but contrast in these acquisitions is relatively lower.

Intravascular Ultrasound Guidance for TIPS Procedures: A Review.

The most challenging and time-consuming step of TIPS procedures is obtaining appropriate portal vein (PV) access. Given the lack of real-time direct target visualization, conventional fluoroscopic guidance requires multiple passes, contributing to complications. In comparison, intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) guidance during TIPS procedures provides direct visualization of hepatic structures and real-time guidance for PV puncture.

Radiomic analysis of magnetic resonance fingerprinting in adult brain tumors.

Purpose: This is a radiomics study investigating the ability of texture analysis of MRF maps to improve differentiation between intra-axial adult brain tumors and to predict survival in the glioblastoma cohort.

Methods: Magnetic resonance fingerprinting (MRF) acquisition was performed on 31 patients across 3 groups: 17 glioblastomas, 6 low-grade gliomas, and 8 metastases. Using regions of interest for the solid tumor and peritumoral white matter on T1 and T2 maps, second-order texture features were calculated from gray-level co-occurrence matrices and gray-level run length matrices.

Magnetic Resonance Fingerprinting to Characterize Childhood and Young Adult Brain Tumors.

Object: Magnetic resonance fingerprinting (MRF) allows rapid, simultaneous mapping of T1 and T2 relaxation times and may be an important diagnostic tool to measure tissue characteristics in pediatric brain tumors. We examined children and young adults with primary brain tumors to determine whether MRF can discriminate tumor from normal-appearing white matter and distinguish tumor grade.

Methods: MRF was performed in 23 patients (14 children and 9 young adults) with brain tumors (19 low-grade glioma, 4 high-grade tumors).