Magnetic resonance imaging clinics of North America
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Magn Reson Imaging Clin N Am · Feb 2015
ReviewArrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy/dysplasia: an updated imaging approach.
Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy/dysplasia (ARVC/D) is a rare inherited cardiomyopathy characterized by fibrofatty replacement of the right ventricular myocardium and risk of sudden death from ventricular tachyarrhythmias. Cardiac magnetic resonance (MR) imaging plays an important role in the diagnostic evaluation of patients and family members suspected of having ARVC/D. This article discusses the epidemiology and pathophysiology of ARVC/D, reviews typical MR imaging findings and diagnostic criteria, and summarizes potential pitfalls in the MR imaging evaluation of patients suspected of having ARVC/D.
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Magn Reson Imaging Clin N Am · Nov 2014
ReviewMagnetic resonance imaging of the extensor mechanism.
Anterior knee pain is associated with many different causes. The clinical diagnosis may be unclear when the patient initially presents for evaluation. ⋯ These injuries manifest with characteristic patterns on MR imaging. This article discusses normal anatomy, common injuries, and diagnostic pitfalls on MR imaging.
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Magn Reson Imaging Clin N Am · Nov 2013
ReviewMagnetic resonance imaging of perianal and perineal crohn disease in children and adolescents.
Noninvasive, nonionizing, multiparametric magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of the pelvis using a field strength of 3 T now provides a comprehensive assessment of perineal involvement in pediatric Crohn disease. MR imaging accurately evaluates inflammatory disease activity, and allows determination of the number and course of fistula tracts as well as their relationships to vital perianal structures, including the external anal sphincter, helping to guide surgical management and improve outcomes. This article provides an up-to-date review of perineal MR imaging findings of Crohn disease in the pediatric population, including fistulous disease, abscesses, and skin manifestations. Imaging technique is also discussed.
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Magn Reson Imaging Clin N Am · May 2013
ReviewPosttreatment evaluation of central nervous system gliomas.
Although conventional contrast-enhanced MR imaging remains the standard-of-care imaging method in the posttreatment evaluation of gliomas, recent developments in therapeutic options such as chemoradiation and antiangiogenic agents have caused the neuro-oncology community to rethink traditional imaging criteria. This article highlights the latest recommendations. ⋯ As more is learned about the pathophysiology of glioma treatment response, quantitative imaging biomarkers will be validated within this context. There will likely be further refinements to glioma response criteria, although the lack of technical standardization in image acquisition, postprocessing, and interpretation also need to be addressed.
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The potential utility of diffusion tensor (DT) imaging in clinical practice is broad, and new applications continue to evolve as technology advances. Clinical applications of DT imaging and tractography include tissue characterization, lesion localization, and mapping of white matter tracts. DT imaging metrics are sensitive to microstructural changes associated with central nervous system disease; however, further research is needed to enhance specificity so as to facilitate more widespread clinical application. Preoperative tract mapping, with either directionally encoded color maps or tractography, provides useful information to the neurosurgeon and has been shown to improve clinical outcomes.