Gross-total surgery of supratentorial low-grade gliomas under intraoperative MR guidance.

Background And Purpose: Length of survival of patients with low-grade glioma correlates with the extent of tumor resection. These tumors, however, are difficult to distinguish intraoperatively from normal brain tissue, often leading to incomplete resection. Our goal was to evaluate the effectiveness of intraoperative MR guidance in achieving gross-total resection.

Preliminary experience with interactive guided brain biopsies using a vertically opened 0.5-T MR system.

The purpose of our study was to evaluate the feasibility and accuracy of brain biopsies performed within a vertically opened MR system. We worked with the interventional 0.5-T MR "SIGNA SP" (General Electric Medical Systems, Milwaukee, Wis.

[New method of MR-guided mammary biopsy].

Purpose: With a recently installed new open MR tomograph (Signa SP, General Electric MS) it is possible for the first time to examine patients with obscure lesions of the mamma by MR imaging in a sitting position, similar to mammography.

Method: The newly developed positioning device with integrated surface coil permits in combination with the vertical gap in the new magnet and imaging of the mamma with a "real time" sequence a biopsy procedure within a short time and in a manner that is acceptable for the patient. By means of an integrated interactive scan plane guiding system ("flash point tracking system") and special MR-compatible needles and wires tissue samples can be taken, or marking by a wire can be carried out within a short time.

[Operation of multidisciplinary, interventional 0.5 Tesla magnetic resonance tomograph. Technical and logistic problems and initial clinical results].

Multidisciplinary usage of a MRI system with a superconducting 0.5-T magnet (Signa SP, General Electric) with a vertical gap suited for diagnostic and therapeutic interventions raises complex problems. The MR equipment, including a special localizing system and the instruments for diagnostic and therapeutic interventions, is described.

[In vitro investigations for detection of vascular stenosis using spiral CT angiography].

Purpose: This experimental study investigates the suitability of spiral CT angiography for detection of stenoses.

Material And Methods: Three vessel phantoms of 4, 7, and 10 mm diameter were scanned with spiral CT several times using different scanning parameters each time. Axial scans were viewed in different ways.