AuntMinnieEurope.com MRI Insider

Dear MRI Insider,

Direct comparisons of images acquired on 7-tesla and 3-tesla MR systems are relatively scarce, so a new study by researchers from Lund University Hospital in Sweden was always going to attract considerable interest.

Injuries to the wrist are difficult to assess noninvasively, due to the wrist's small size and tricky anatomical structures such as intercarpal ligaments, the triangular fibrocartilage complex, and articular cartilage. However, the group found that 7-tesla MRI improves anatomical visualization and image quality over 3-tesla imaging, and this could lead to better detection and management of pathologies.

The early days of MRI continue to arouse controversy and divide opinion. Prof. Dr. Peter Rinck has written extensively about the topic for many years, and in a new column to mark the modality's 50th anniversary, he recalls a meeting that proved pivotal in the development of clinical MRI. Don't miss his fascinating article posted today.

Does MRI have a role to play in suspected cases of sepsis? Maybe, according to German expert Prof. Dr. Sebastian Ley. MRI can be helpful in certain situations, such as when it's necessary to reliably detect cerebral infections or spondylodiscitis. Find out more in this insightful interview.

Meanwhile, the findings of an important prostate study were published by Lancet Oncology earlier this month. Scientists from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm concluded that using a new type of blood test to screen for prostate cancer can reduce unnecessary MRI scans by 36% and avoid overdiagnosis.

The Paralympics get underway in Tokyo on 24 August, and MRI is likely to be used extensively at the event. The presence of metallic implants and other devices in these athletes looks set to represent a particular challenge, noted Dr. Yukihisa Saida in our most recent article about the Games.

This letter features only a few of the many reports posted in the MRI Community over the past few weeks. Please scroll through the full list below, and feel free to contact me if you have ideas for future coverage.