MRI proves useful in assessment of suspected breast cancer patients
If a mammogram or sonogram suggests that a woman has breast cancer, an MRI should be done to help determine whether there actually is a cancer and if so, what are the woman's best treatment options, a new study shows. The study, done in a large community hospital, found that MR images, which were acquired and analyzed in a specific way, can help identify if a lesion is benign or malignant and can...MRI better than current standard in assessing neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer
More breast cancer patients with large palpable tumors are now undergoing chemotherapy before surgery in an effort to reduce the size of their tumor, and MRI is the best way to predict if the chemotherapy is working, preliminary results of a study show. If the chemotherapy is successful, then the woman may be able to undergo breast-conservation surgery rather than a mastectomy. ...... Currently,...OHSU scientists develop MRI approach to improve breast cancer detection
PORTLAND, Ore. Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University's Advanced Imaging Research Center (AIRC) are developing a new imaging method that may provide a clearer diagnosis of breast cancer. The research is published in the latest issue of the journal Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. AIRC Director Charles Springer, Ph.D., is senior author, and AIRC Manager, Xin Li, Ph.D., is first author o...Full-body MRI shows promise for screening, but should stay in research area for now, study says
The use of full-body cardiovascular and tumor MRI to screen for disease in patients who do not have any suspicious symptoms is technically feasible, but for the present, full-body MRI screening should not be performed outside of a research setting due to the uncertainty of whether the benefits outweigh the risks, according to a new study by researchers from the University Hospital of Essen in Ger...Diffusion-weighted MRI can diagnose 'mad cow'-related disease in humans before symptoms show
Diffusion-weighted MRI is "extremely useful" in detecting Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), a close cousin of "mad cow" disease, very early in its progression--even before the onset of characteristic clinical findings, according to a new study by researchers from Showa University Northern Yokohama Hospital in Japan....... For the study, researchers analyzed nine cases of CJD in which MRI of the br...Computer memory, MRI technology benefit from student research at UH
HOUSTON, Jan. 28, 2005 Furthering research in computer memory storage devices, magnetic resonance imaging technology and advanced electronics, University of Houston students in science and engineering showcased their original research in a recent campus competition. ... ...Three UH graduate students won top honors and prize money at the biannual UH Texas Center for Superconductivity and Advance...Rice student wins award for revolutionary MRI research
HOUSTON, Jan. 18, 2005 -- The Nanotechnology Foundation of Texas has selected Rice University doctoral student Balaji Sitharaman as one of two winners of the 2004 George Kozmetsky Award for Outstanding Graduate Research in Nanotechnology for his efforts to create a revolutionary new class of contrast agents that could, for the first time, allow magnetic resonance imaging of individual cells.........Size of myocardial infarct measured using MRI
In animal studies, researchers at Johns Hopkins have effectively used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to measure with 94 percent accuracy the size and amount of heart muscle damaged by a heart attack, known in medical terms as a myocardial infarct, or m.i., for short. ...... The Hopkins development, if confirmed in further pathology studies in humans, could standardize how physicians currently...Researchers develop MRI technique to study brain anatomy in invertebrates
ATLANTA -- Scientists with the Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, a research consortium based at Georgia State University, have for the first time used a form of magnetic resonance imaging to reveal anatomical features of the nervous system in a live crayfish, a crustacean whose brain measures only 3 millimeters wide. ...The technique, which is reported and highlighted in an accompanying comm...Breast MRI moderately useful for detecting breast cancer, but does not eliminate need for biopsy
In women with breast lesions that are suspicious for cancer, based on clinical examination or mammography, performing a breast MRI has high sensitivity but only moderate specificity for detecting breast cancer, but does not necessarily eliminate the need for tissue sampling, according to a study in the December 8 issue of ....... Mammography is the primary imaging modality used to detect clinica...Radiologists use MRI to keep basketball players on their feet
CHICAGO Early identification of potential stress fractures with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can reduce the threat of season-ending injuries for college basketball players, according to research presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).... ..."Stress fractures of the foot are extremely common in college basketball," said the study's author, N...International trial finds benefits of breast MRI in women at high risk
CHICAGO Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) enables radiologists to accurately identify tumors missed by mammography, according to the first international, multicenter trial comparing the two screening methods in women at high-risk for breast cancer. The findings of the International Breast Magnetic Resonance Consortium (IBMC) Trial were presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Soc...MRI-guided ultrasound therapy relieves symptoms in patients with uterine fibroids
MRI-guided ultrasound therapy is an effective way to treat women with uterine fibroids, improving their quality of life and avoiding hysterectomy, a new study shows. The study reviewed the use of MRI and the ExAblate 2000, a device that was recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration....... About 25% of women have uterine fibroids with a substantial proportion of these experiencing sym...MRI shows liver tumors freezing in real time
CHICAGO Cryotherapy combined with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is giving doctors unprecedented control during liver cancer treatment by allowing them to observe the tumors freezing in real time, according to a study presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).... ..."We can actually watch the iceball grow," said Kemal Tuncali, M.D. "We have bette...Brain imaging with MRI could replace lie detector
CHICAGO When people lie, they use different parts of their brains than when they tell the truth, and these brain changes can be measured by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), according to a study presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America. The results suggest that fMRI may one day prove a more accurate lie detector than the polygraph.... ..."Th...MRI technique for measuring blood volume helps distinguish between abscesses and tumors in the brain
Dynamic susceptibility contrast (DSC) MRI allows physicians to differentiate between cerebral abscesses--inflamed areas in the brain caused by infection--and malignant brain tumors without surgery, says a new preliminary study by researchers from Duke University Medical Center in Durham, NC.... ...For the study, the researchers analyzed eight patients who underwent DSC MRI--four with cerebral abs...MRI improves treatment of deforming birthmarks
OAK BROOK, Ill. - Magnetic resonance (MR) guidance may improve the long-term success of treatment for low-flow vascular malformations, according to a study published in the November issue of the journal Radiology.... ...A low-flow vascular malformation is a deforming birthmark or growth consisting of enlarged veins. While the majority of vascular malformations remain stable throughout a patient'...MRI appears to have advantages over CT scan for detecting bleeding in the brain in stroke patients
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may be as accurate as computed tomography (CT) in detecting acute bleeding in the brain in patients showing signs of stroke, and more accurate than CT in revealing chronic bleeding in the brain, according to a study in the October 20 issue of JAMA. ......Noncontrast computed tomography (CT) has been the standard brain imaging technique used for the initial evalu...MRI can measure early benefits of cholesterol-lowering drugs and plaque reduction
Using modified magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques, researchers at Johns Hopkins have been able to detect the early benefits of a cholesterol-lowering medication much sooner than before. ...... The researchers applied MRI to measure the success of simvastatin (Zocor), a widely used form of so-called statin therapy, in reducing plaque formation in patients with hardened and clogged arteri...MRI shows brain changes underlying language deficits in autism
A significant new brain imaging study shows clear brain differences between autistic boys with language impairment and those with normal language development....... , found that a language center of the brain -- Broca's area -- is apparently normal in autistic boys who have normal language capabilities....... By contrast, autistic boys with language problems have brain changes that match those se...MRI scans could be 'acceptable alternative' to x-rays
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) could be set to replace the traditional x-ray and autopsy, according to an editorial in this week's BMJ.... ...Increasing awareness of the hazards of radiation and a worldwide fall in autopsies has prompted a search for a minimally invasive alternative, and MRI provides high quality, three-dimensional images of the inside of the body without using x-rays or other...Breast cancers show 'surprising characteristics' on MRI
MRI can effectively detect cancers missed by mammography and physical examination, but cancers can have some surprising characteristics on the MRI image, a new study shows. ... ...The study included 59 women with 65 cancers that were not detected by physical examination or on a mammogram, said Lia Bartella, MD, assistant professor of radiology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York...MRI proves more sensitive than CT in detecting adrenal adenomas
MRI is better than unenhanced CT in evaluating adrenal adenomas (benign masses on the adrenal glands), a new study suggests. ......"We studied 40 patients (with 42 adrenal masses) who had undergone both a chemical shift MRI and unenhanced CT, said Gary Israel, MD, assistant professor of radiology at New York University School of Medicine. Of the 42 adrenal masses, 13 could not be characterized a...MRI is better than PET for detecting small metastatic lesions in the liver
Contrast enhanced MRI should be the imaging method of choice for determining if patients with gastrointestinal cancer have disease that has spread into their liver, a new study shows....... The study compared FDG PET to MRI and found that both diagnosed cancer metastases, however, MRI was better able to detect more and smaller lesions in the patients, said Dushyant Sahani, MD, one of the authors...MRI-guided breast biopsy system is safe and efficient
It is now possible to safely and efficiently do a breast biopsy if a lesion is seen on MRI without sending the patient to surgery, a new study shows.... ..."In the past, if MRI detected a breast lesion, our only options would be to do a core biopsy or insert a wire in the area of the lesion; then the patient would have to go to surgery to have the lesion removed," said Constance Lehman, MD, PhD,...CAD system shows promise as adjunct to breast MRI
A new computer-aided breast MRI system may help radiologists interpret breast MRI and improve the differentiation of benign and malignant breast lesions, which could eventually reduce the number of women who are sent for a biopsy, preliminary results of a study suggest.... ...The study was led by Constance Lehman, MD, PhD, associate professor of radiology and director of breast imaging at the Uni...MRI 'excellent choice' for evaluating causes of abdominal and pelvic pain in pregnant women
The accuracy and intrinsic safety of MRI in diagnosing abdominal and pelvic disease in pregnant women with acute abdominal or pelvic disease make it an excellent choice for the evaluation of these patients, a new study from researchers at the University of North Carolina Hospitals, Chapel Hill, and the University of San Diego Hospitals in California says.... ...In the study, MRI was used to image...MRI 'highly useful' in the evaluation of patients with uterine fibroids
Gadolinium-enhanced MRI is highly useful in evaluating patients with uterine fibroids, often ruling out as a treatment option uterine artery embolization (UAE), which blocks the flow of blood to the tumors, says a new study by researchers from the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, IL.... ...In the study, 100 women referred for UAE for treatment of uterine fibroids we...SMASH imaging increases effectiveness of MRI for musculoskeletal imaging
Using simultaneous acquisition of spatial harmonics (SMASH) T2-weighted imaging for knee MRI results in a significant decrease in imaging time, as compared to conventional fat-saturated T2-weighted imaging, without any negative effects on MRI interpretation or patient clinical outcome, says a new study by researchers from the Neuroskeletal Imaging Institute in Melbourne, FL.... ...According to th...MRI superior to ultrasound in predicting cerebral palsy in preterm infants
In a comparison study between MRI and ultrasound for predicting cerebral palsy in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants, researchers from Stanford University Medical Center in Palo Alto, CA, found that MRI is superior to ultrasound in both sensitivity and positive predictive value for cerebral palsy, whereas both ultrasound and MRI showed relatively high specificity and negative predictive value.....Novel MRI technique provides clear images of blood flow
DURHAM, N.C. -- Duke University Medical Center researchers have created for the first time moving images of blood traveling through vessels, non-invasively and without the use of contrast agents or radiation. They used a novel application of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology. ......Just as importantly, the researchers said, this technology can easily be applied to existing MRI machines,...Detection at a distance for more sensitive MRI
BERKELEY, CA -- Alexander Pines and his colleagues have discovered a remarkable new way to improve the versatility and sensitivity of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and the technology upon which it is based, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). ......Pines, a pioneering NMR researcher, is Faculty Senior Scientist in the Materials Sciences Division at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Glen...Hopkins researchers find MRI useful tool in diagnosing inflammatory bowel diseases in children
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), coupled with the use of the contrast dye gadolinium, may help pediatricians better diagnose children with ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, according to a study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Children's Center.... ...Results of the study, published in the March issue of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, showed that the gadolinium-enhanced MRI (G-MRI) confi...Using fMRI technology to understand hyperlexia
Washington, D.C. -- Georgetown University Medical Center researchers today published the first ever fMRI study of hyperlexia, a rare condition in which children with some degree of autism display extremely precocious reading skills. Appearing in Neuron, the case study uncovers the neural mechanisms that underlie hyperlexia, and suggest that hyperlexia is the true opposite of the reading disabili...fMRI depicts multisensory dysfunction in people with dyslexia
CHICAGO Sights and sounds cross paths abnormally in the minds of dyslexic readers, according to the first functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study of multisensory processing in people with the disorder. ... ..."Dyslexic readers appear to process auditory and visual sensory cues differently than do normal readers, and these differences may be the cause of their difficulty in reading,"...New ultrafast MRI benefits stroke patients
CHICAGO A new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology reduces brain-imaging time from 20 minutes to three minutes while maintaining accuracy and decreasing patient discomfort, according to early research results presented at the 89th Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).... ..."The three-minute head scan is as good as the 20-minute versio...MRI shows back trouble may begin before puberty
CHICAGO Disc degeneration, typically associated with adulthood, may actually have its beginnings at a young age. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging studies of the spines of 154 children in northeastern Scotland found that 14 children (9 percent) had abnormalities in at least one of their intervertebral discs the backbone's "shock absorber." MR imaging was performed on the 10-year-olds as part of...MRI helps radiologists predict future memory decline
OAK BROOK, Ill. Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to study subtle changes in a specific area of the brain, scientists can predict future cognitive or memory decline in healthy adults, according to a study appearing in the December issue of the journal Radiology. This is the first study to use MRI to predict the conversion from normal thought process to a state referred to as mild cognitive...Cardiac MRI detects thinned heart muscle previously deemed unsalvageable
ORLANDO, FLA. - Duke University Medical Center researchers have used cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to demonstrate that heart muscle that had been "thinned" by a heart attack could indeed be "saved" by restoring blood flow to the affected region.... ...In the past, physicians would typically write off such thinned heart tissue as unsalvageable and would not pursue revascularization ther...In the coming month, 25 flatbed trucks will roll into New York City to deliver 420 tons of steel to New York University School of Medicine. ...The steel will surround a massive superconducting magnet that forms the center of a 7-Tesla MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) machine expected to be in operation in 2004 at the School of Medicine. It will be the most powerful MRI machine in the New York met...