Real-Time Phase-Contrast Flow MRI Aids in Diagnosing Carotid Stenosis
RT-PC MRI yields velocity distributions across the entire vessel lumen.
Real-time phase-contrast (RT-PC) flow MRI adds to clinical diagnostics in patients with carotid stenosis, according to a study published in the European Journal of Radiology.
Researchers from Germany performed a small study with 20 healthy subjects to examine the utility and accuracy of assessing carotid artery flow by neurovascular ultrasound (nvUS), complemented by real-time phase-contrast (RT-PC) flow MRI.
The feasibility and diagnostic potential of RT-PC flow MRI was in comparison to conventional nvUS. RT-PC flow MRI at 40 ms temporal resolution and 0.8 mm in-plane resolution resulted in velocity maps with low phase noise and high spatiotemporal accuracy by exploiting respective advances of a recent nonlinear inverse model-based reconstruction. Peak-systolic velocities (PSV), end-diastolic velocities (EDV), flow volumes and comprehensive velocity profiles were determined in the common, internal and external carotid artery on both sides.
The results showed flow characteristics such as pulsatility and individual abnormalities shown on nvUS could be reproduced and visualized in detail by RT-PC flow MRI. PSV to EDV differences revealed good agreement between both techniques, mean PSV and EDV were significantly lower and flow volumes were higher for MRI.
The researchers concluded that their findings suggested RT-PC flow MRI adds to clinical diagnostics, alterations of dynamic velocity distributions in patients with carotid stenosis, and other means. Lower PSV and EDV values than for nvUS mainly reflect the longer MRI acquisition time which attenuates short peak velocities, while higher flow volumes benefit from a proper assessment of the true vessel lumen.
FDA Clears Virtually Helium-Free 1.5T MRI System from Siemens Healthineers
June 26th 2025Offering a cost- and resource-saving DryCool magnet technology, the Magnetom Flow.Ace MRI system reportedly requires 0.7 liters of liquid helium for cooling over the lifetime of the device in contrast to over 1,000 liters commonly utilized with conventional MRI platforms.
The Reading Room Podcast: Emerging Trends in the Radiology Workforce
February 11th 2022Richard Duszak, MD, and Mina Makary, MD, discuss a number of issues, ranging from demographic trends and NPRPs to physician burnout and medical student recruitment, that figure to impact the radiology workforce now and in the near future.
Can Contrast-Enhanced Mammography be a Viable Screening Alternative to Breast MRI?
June 17th 2025While the addition of contrast-enhanced mammography (CEM) to digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) led to over a 13 percent increase in false positive cases, researchers also noted over double the cancer yield per 1,000 women in comparison to DBT alone.
Multinational Study Reaffirms Value of Adjunctive AI for Prostate MRI
June 16th 2025The use of adjunctive AI in biparametric prostate MRI exams led to 3.3 percent and 3.4 percent increases in the AUC and specificity, respectively, for clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCa) in a 360-person cohort drawn from 53 facilities.
Burnout in Radiology: Key Risk Factors and Promising Solutions
June 9th 2025Recognizing the daunting combination of increasing imaging volume and workforce shortages, these authors discuss key risk factors contributing to burnout and moral injury in radiology, and potential solutions to help preserve well-being among radiologists.
