Dear MRI Insider,
Welcome to November's edition of the MRI Insider, providing regular updates on the latest developments in MRI in Europe.
Cardiac MRI at 1.5-tesla -- along with adenosine perfusion and late gadolinium enhancement -- is fairly well established for the noninvasive detection of coronary artery disease, but relatively little is known about the potential benefits of using 3-tesla systems. Researchers in Munich are looking very closely at this area, and they are starting to reveal their findings. Visit our MRI Digital Community to find out more.
A top-level meeting about the European Union's rules on electromagnetic fields took place in Brussels on Tuesday evening. Concern is growing that a proposal to exempt MRI from these regulations could be thrown out by national governments after at least seven EU member states indicated they will not support this planned expemption. It's hard to believe, but true. Get the story here.
Real-time imaging has mainly been developed for monitoring of MR-guided interventions, but it can be beneficial in many clinical scenarios, according to researchers from Aachen, Germany. They have used depiction of the function of the eustachian tube as an initial example, but they are now assessing real-time imaging for diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis extending from the upper leg into the pelvis in pregnant women. Click here to read more.
Fears of nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF) caused by gadolinium-based contrast agents have not totally gone away. During the recent annual congress of the French Society of Radiology, les Journées Françaises de Radiologie (JFR), a lively debate occurred during a secial session on NSF risks. It was evident that radiologists would welcome a consensus on the risk to patients. To learn more, click here.
PET/MRI is showing some promise in both the head and neck region and the brain, according to Swiss and German studies presented at last month's European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM) annual congress, held in Birmingham, U.K. Click here for our report.
The RSNA meeting starts on 27 November in Chicago, and much of the focus is bound to be on the use of MRI. Our sister site, AuntMinnie.com, is publishing a series of articles this month under the banner of the Road to RSNA, and they will include discussion of MRI. Click here to find out more.
