3-Fr steerable microcatheter system via the upper limb artery in RADPLAT for right maxillary cancer.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the efficacy of a catheter system using a 3-Fr sheath with a steerable microcatheter through right upper limb artery access for superselective intra-arterial cisplatin infusion and concomitant radiotherapy (RADPLAT) to treat right maxillary sinus squamous cell carcinoma (MS-SCC). MATERIAL AND METHODS: We retrospectively studied 46 sessions in eight patients treated between November 2020 and February 2023 using the catheter system briefly described below. A 3-Fr sheath was inserted into the distal radial, conventional radial, or brachial arteries. A coaxial catheter system with a 2.9-Fr steerable microcatheter and a 1.9-Fr microcatheter was advanced into the brachiocephalic artery. The right common carotid artery was selected by bending the tip of the steerable microcatheter. Coil embolization and intra-arterial cisplatin infusion after selecting each external carotid artery branch were achieved using this catheter system. RESULTS: Cisplatin infusion and coil embolization were successful in all sessions. Arterial occlusion at the sheath insertion sites was found in 29.4% (5/17) of the distal radial arteries and 33.3% (3/9) of the conventional radial arteries. No other major complications were observed during the procedure. CONCLUSION: Using a 3-Fr catheter system with a steerable microcatheter through right upper limb artery access is a feasible method for RADPLAT in treating right MS-SCC.

Signal and morphological changes in the endolymph of patients with vestibular schwannoma on non-contrast 3D FLAIR at 3 Tesla.

BACKGROUND: Non-contrast FLAIR revealed increased signal within the inner ear in patients with vestibular schwannoma, which is generally assumed to occur in the perilymph; however, the majority of previous studies did not differentiate between the endolymph and perilymph. Therefore, endolymph signal changes have not yet been investigated in detail. The purpose of the present study was three-fold: (1) to assess perilymph signal changes in patients with vestibular schwannoma on heavily T2-weighted (T2W) 3D FLAIR, also termed positive perilymphatic images (PPI), (2) to evaluate signal and morphological changes in the endolymph on PPI, and (3) to establish whether vertigo correlates with the signal intensity ratios (SIR) of the vestibular perilymph or vestibular endolymphatic hydrops. METHODS: Forty-two patients with unilateral vestibular schwannoma were retrospectively recruited. We semi-quantitatively and qualitatively evaluated the perilymph signal intensity on the affected and unaffected sides. We also quantitatively examined the signal intensity of the vestibular perilymph and assessed the relationship between vertigo and the SIR of the vestibular perilymph on the affected side. We semi-quantitatively or qualitatively evaluated the endolymph, and investigated whether vestibular hydrops correlated with vertigo. RESULTS: The perilymph on the affected side showed abnormal signal more frequently (signal intensity grade: overall mean 1.45 vs. 0.02; comparison of signal intensity: overall mean 36 vs. 0 cases) and in more parts (the entire inner ear vs. the basal turn of the cochlea and vestibule) than that on the unaffected side. No significant difference was observed in the SIR of the vestibular perilymph with and without vertigo (5.54 vs. 5.51, p = 0.18). The endolymph of the vestibule and semicircular canals showed the following characteristic features: no visualization (n = 4), signal change (n = 1), or vestibular hydrops (n = 10). A correlation was not observed between vestibular hydrops and vertigo (p = 1.000). CONCLUSIONS: PPI may provide useful information on signal and morphological changes in the endolymph of patients with vestibular schwannoma. Further research is warranted to clarify the relationship between vertigo and the MR features of the inner ear.

Reduced oxygenation but not fibrosis defined by functional magnetic resonance imaging predicts the long-term progression of chronic kidney disease.

BACKGROUND: Although chronic hypoxia and fibrosis may be a key to the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD), a noninvasive means of measuring these variables is not yet available. Here, using blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) and diffusion-weighted (DW) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), we assessed changes in renal tissue oxygenation and fibrosis, respectively, and evaluated their correlation with prognosis for renal function. METHODS: The study was conducted under a single-center, longitudinal, retrospective observational design. We examined the prognostic significance of T2* values of BOLD-MRI and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values on DW-MRI and other clinical parameters. The rate of decline in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was calculated by linear regression analysis using changes in eGFR during the observation period. RESULTS: A total of 91 patients were enrolled, with a mean age of 55.8 ± 15.6 years. Among patients, 51 (56.0%) were males and 38 (41.8%) had diabetes mellitus. The mean eGFR was 49.2 ± 28.9 mL/min/1.73 m2 and the mean observation period was 5.13 years. ADC values of DW-MRI but not T2* values of BOLD-MRI were well correlated with eGFR at the initial time point. The mean annual rate of decline in eGFR during the 5-year observation period was -1.92 ± 3.00 mL/min/1.73 m2. On multiple linear regression analysis, the rate of decline in eGFR was significantly correlated with eGFR at the start point, period average amount of proteinuria and T2* values, but not with ADC values (t = 2.980, P = 0.004). CONCLUSIONS: Reduced oxygenation as determined by low T2* values on BOLD-MRI is a clinically useful marker of CKD progression.

Simultaneous multi-slice MR imaging of the hip at 3 T to reduce acquisition times and maintain image quality.

BACKGROUND: Newly developed simultaneous multi-slice (SMS) scans are now being introduced as a clinical application in neuroimaging. We examined the feasibility of SMS scans for joint imaging. The purpose of the present study was to prospectively compare the resolution and specific absorption rate (SAR) obtained using SMS to those of conventional methods in hip joint magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and establish whether imaging times may be reduced using SMS in 3 T MRI and if image quality is affected. METHODS: Twenty-one patients (4 men and 17 women, average age, 51.5 years, range: 22 to 76 years) with hip pain underwent MR examinations of the unilateral hip joint. Three board-certified radiologists independently and blindly evaluated the images obtained with and without SMS using window and level settings and magnification according to personal preferences. Individual SAR values were measured for each protocol. A Wilcoxon signed-rank test and a t-statistic test were used for statistical analyses. Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) was also compared using a phantom. RESULTS: SMS imaging maintained equivalent image quality to conventional imaging for evaluating the morphology of the hip joint, and also reduced imaging times by approximately 40%. SMS images had significantly higher SAR values than conventional images. The rate of difference (SMS/conventional) in SNR ranged between 80 and 111%. CONCLUSIONS: Based on its significantly lower acquisition times and the maintenance of similar image quality to conventional imaging, SMS may be applied to morphological evaluations of hip joint disorders without significantly increasing SAR.

Multiple variations of the cerebral arteries associated with tetralogy of Fallot: a case report.

Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) can be associated with vascular malformations or variations, especially of the aortic arch or supracardiac major venous systems. We report its association with an extremely rare combination of three such variations of the cerebral arteries-a right persistent hypoglossal artery, an extremely rare left carotid-right anterior cerebral artery (ACA) anastomosis, and a left accessory middle cerebral artery arising from the A1-A2 junction of the left ACA-which were diagnosed by magnetic resonance angiography in a 9-year-old girl during evaluation of multiple acute cerebral infarctions.

Utility of histogram analysis of apparent diffusion coefficient maps obtained using 3.0T MRI for distinguishing uterine carcinosarcoma from endometrial carcinoma.

PURPOSE: We explored the role of histogram analysis of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps for discriminating uterine carcinosarcoma and endometrial carcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated findings in 13 patients with uterine carcinosarcoma and 50 patients with endometrial carcinoma who underwent diffusion-weighted imaging (b = 0, 500, 1000 s/mm(2) ) at 3T with acquisition of corresponding ADC maps. We derived histogram data from regions of interest drawn on all slices of the ADC maps in which tumor was visualized, excluding areas of necrosis and hemorrhage in the tumor. We used the Mann-Whitney test to evaluate the capacity of histogram parameters (mean ADC value, 5th to 95th percentiles, skewness, kurtosis) to discriminate uterine carcinosarcoma and endometrial carcinoma and analyzed the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve to determine the optimum threshold value for each parameter and its corresponding sensitivity and specificity. RESULTS: Carcinosarcomas demonstrated significantly higher mean vales of ADC, 95th, 90th, 75th, 50th, 25th percentiles and kurtosis than endometrial carcinomas (P < 0.05). ROC curve analysis of the 75th percentile yielded the best area under the ROC curve (AUC; 0.904), sensitivity of 100%, and specificity of 78.0%, with a cutoff value of 1.034 × 10(-3) mm(2) /s. CONCLUSION: Histogram analysis of ADC maps might be helpful for discriminating uterine carcinosarcomas and endometrial carcinomas. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2016;43:1301-1307.

A case of ovarian endometrioid carcinoma: Atypical MR imaging.

Endometrioid carcinoma is the second most common ovarian tumor, classified as an epithelial-stromal ovarian tumor, and is usually characterized by a cystic tumor with partial solid components on magnetic resonance (MR) images. In this case report, we discuss an 81-year-old female who presented with atypical genital bleeding and distended abdomen, for which she underwent abdominal computed tomography and MR imaging. Solid endometrioid carcinoma of the ovary is very rare but was confirmed in our patient during the histological examination after surgery.

Three-dimensional sectional measurement approach for serial volume changes in shoulder muscles after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair.

Purpose: This study assessed the serial volume changes in multiple shoulder muscles simultaneously following arthroscopic rotator cuff repair (ARCR) by a three-dimensional (3D) modeling-based sectional measurement. These volume changes were correlated with background preoperative factors. Methods: Four consecutive magnetic resonance imaging scans (preoperatively and postoperatively at 3, 6, and 12 months) of 33 shoulders from 31 patients who underwent arthroscopic rotator cuff repair were examined. We focused on the sectional volume differences of the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis between preoperatively and 3 months postoperatively (Dif.pre.3mo) and between 3 and 12 months postoperatively (Dif.3.12mo). The correlation between volume differences and clinical/demographic parameters was determined by a multivariate analysis. Results: No statistically significant differences were observed for most serial changes in the shoulder muscle volumes. The tear-site muscles (supraspinatus and infraspinatus) showed similar tendencies for volume changes, whereas the non-tear-site muscles (teres minor and subscapularis) differed. A negative correlation was observed between Dif.pre.3mo and Dif.3.12mo for the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, and teres minor. These perioperative volume differences might correlate with tear size and symptom duration in the supraspinatus, as well as with a history of steroid injections and work and sports activity levels in the infraspinatus and teres minor. Conclusion: The serial volume changes in multiple shoulder muscles after ARCR measured using our 3D sectional approach exhibited different tendencies and clinical implications depending on the primary and non-primary site of tears. Our method may serve as a potential indicator to facilitate muscle recovery and prevent the progression of postoperative muscle atrophy.

Comparing 2-dimensional versus 3-dimensional MR myelography for cerebrospinal fluid leak detection.

Purpose: We compared cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak conspicuity and image quality as visualized using 3D versus 2D magnetic resonance (MR) myelography in patients with spinal CSF leaks. Methods: Eighteen patients underwent spinal MR imaging at 3 Tesla. Three board-certified radiologists independently evaluated CSF leak conspicuity and image quality on a 4-point scale; the latter assessed by scoring fat suppression, venous visualization, and severity of CSF flow artifacts. Additionally, the evaluators ranked the overall performances of 2D versus 3D MR myelography upon completing side-by-side comparisons of CSF leak conspicuity. Inter-reader agreement was determined using the Gwet's AC1. Results: The quality of 3D MR myelography images was significantly better than that of 2D MR myelography with respect to CSF leak conspicuity (mean scores: 3.3 vs. 1.9, p < 0.0001) and severity of CSF flow artifacts on the axial view (mean scores: 1.0 vs. 2.5, p = 0.0001). Inter-reader agreement was moderate to almost perfect for 2D MR myelography (AC1 = 0.55-1.00), and almost perfect for 3D MR myelography (AC1 = 0.85-1.00). Moreover, 3D MR myelography was judged to be superior to 2D acquisition in 78 %, 83 %, and 83 % of the samples per readers 1, 2 and 3, respectively; the inter-reader agreement was almost perfect (AC1: reader 1 vs. 2; 0.98, reader 2 vs. 3; 0.96, reader 3 vs. 1; 0.98). Conclusion: CSF leaks are more conspicuous when using 3D MR myelography than when using its 2D counterpart; therefore, the former is more reliable for identifying such leaks.

Evaluation of Uterine Carcinosarcoma and Uterine Endometrial Carcinoma Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging Findings and Texture Features.

Aim  This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic feasibility of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings and texture features (TFs) for differentiating uterine endometrial carcinoma from uterine carcinosarcoma. Methods This retrospective study included 102 patients who were histopathologically diagnosed after surgery with uterine endometrial carcinoma (n=68) or uterine carcinosarcoma (n=34) between January 2008 and December 2021. We assessed conventional MRI findings and measurements (cMRFMs) and TFs on T2-weighted images (T2WI) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) map, as well as their combinations, in differentiating between uterine endometrial carcinoma and uterine carcinosarcoma. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) was used to select three features with the highest absolute value of the LASSO regression coefficient for each model and construct a discriminative model. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the disease models and conduct receiver operating characteristic analyses on the cMRFMs, T2WI-TFs, ADC-TFs, and their combined model to compare the two diseases. Results A total of four models were constructed from each of the three selected features. The area under the curve (AUC) of the discriminative model using these features was 0.772, 0.878, 0.748, and 0.915 for the cMRFMs, T2WI-TFs, ADC-TFs, and a combined model of cMRFMs and TFs, respectively. The combined model showed a higher AUC than the other models, with a high diagnostic performance (AUC=0.915). Conclusion A combined model using cMRFMs and TFs might be helpful for the differential diagnosis of uterine endometrial carcinoma and uterine carcinosarcoma.

Three-dimensional convolutional neural network-based classification of chronic kidney disease severity using kidney MRI.

A three-dimensional convolutional neural network model was developed to classify the severity of chronic kidney disease (CKD) using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) Dixon-based T1-weighted in-phase (IP)/opposed-phase (OP)/water-only (WO) imaging. Seventy-three patients with severe renal dysfunction (estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR] < 30 mL/min/1.73 m2, CKD stage G4-5); 172 with moderate renal dysfunction (30 ≤ eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2, CKD stage G3a/b); and 76 with mild renal dysfunction (eGFR ≥ 60 mL/min/1.73 m2, CKD stage G1-2) participated in this study. The model was applied to the right, left, and both kidneys, as well as to each imaging method (T1-weighted IP/OP/WO images). The best performance was obtained when using bilateral kidneys and IP images, with an accuracy of 0.862 ± 0.036. The overall accuracy was better for the bilateral kidney models than for the unilateral kidney models. Our deep learning approach using kidney MRI can be applied to classify patients with CKD based on the severity of kidney disease.

Three-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging-based statistical shape analysis and machine learning-based prediction of patellofemoral instability.

This study performed three-dimensional (3D) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based statistical shape analysis (SSA) by comparing patellofemoral instability (PFI) and normal femur models, and developed a machine learning (ML)-based prediction model. Twenty (19 patients) and 31 MRI scans (30 patients) of femurs with PFI and normal femurs, respectively, were used. Bone and cartilage segmentation of the distal femurs was performed and subsequently converted into 3D reconstructed models. The pointwise distance map showed anterior elevation of the trochlea, particularly at the central floor of the proximal trochlea, in the PFI models compared with the normal models. Principal component analysis examined shape variations in the PFI group, and several principal components exhibited shape variations in the trochlear floor and intercondylar width. Multivariate analysis showed that these shape components were significantly correlated with the PFI/non-PFI distinction after adjusting for age and sex. Our ML-based prediction model for PFI achieved a strong predictive performance with an accuracy of 0.909 ± 0.015, and an area under the curve of 0.939 ± 0.009 when using a support vector machine with a linear kernel. This study demonstrated that 3D MRI-based SSA can realistically visualize statistical results on surface models and may facilitate the understanding of complex shape features.

(1)H MR spectroscopy with external reference solution at 1.5 T for differentiating malignant and benign breast lesions: comparison using qualitative and quantitative approaches.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the diagnostic capability of proton ((1)H) magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) in differentiating benign from malignant breast lesions on the basis of qualitative and quantitative approaches. METHODS: We performed single-voxel (1)H MRS for 208 breast lesions, identified a clear total composite choline compounds (tCho) peak of signal-to-noise of ≥2 to represent malignancy (qualitative approach), and regarded tCho concentration equal to or greater than the cut-off value to represent malignancy (quantitative approach). We compared the diagnostic ability of both approaches using the Akaike information criterion (AIC) and McFadden's R (2). RESULTS: Histologically, 169 lesions were malignant; 39 were benign. The qualitative approach demonstrated 84.6 % sensitivity and 51.3 % specificity for differentiating malignant and benign lesions. The mean tCho concentration was 1.13 mmol/kg for malignancy, 0.43 mmol/kg for benignity. The optimal cut-off point was 0.61 mmol/kg, use of which achieved 68.1 % sensitivity and 79.4 % specificity. Calculated AIC and R (2) score suggested the superiority of the quantitative approach for differentiating malignancy. CONCLUSIONS: Quantitative MRS provides higher specificity than qualitative MRS for differentiating malignant from benign lesions and could be more useful as an additional examination in routine breast MR imaging.

Variations in the origin of the vertebral artery and its level of entry into the transverse foramen diagnosed by CT angiography.

INTRODUCTION: The origin of the vertebral artery (VA) varies, though most VAs enter the transverse foramen (TF) of the sixth cervical vertebra. On computed tomography (CT) angiographic images, we evaluated the prevalence of variations of both VA origin and its level of entry into the TF. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed CT angiographic images of 2,287 patients obtained using either of two 64-slice multidetector CT scanners. All patients were Japanese and underwent scanning from the aortic arch to the intracranial region; most had or were suspected of having cerebrovascular diseases. RESULTS: The left VA (LVA) arose from the aorta between the left common carotid artery and left subclavian artery in 94 patients (4.1 %) and in other variations in 44 patients (1.9 %). The right VA (RVA) arose from the extreme proximal segment of the right subclavian artery in 72 patients (3.1 %) and in other variations in 14 patients (0.6 %). The LVA entered the sixth TF in 2,127 patients (93.0 %), and the RVA entered the sixth TF in 2,146 patients (93.8 %). Anomalous origin and anomalous entry level into the TF correlated strongly. CONCLUSIONS: The total prevalence of variation in the origin of the LVA was 6.0 % and of the RVA, 3.8 %. The total prevalence of variation in entry level into the TF was 7.0 % for the LVA and 6.2 % for the RVA. Recognition and reporting of these variations is important in interpreting CT angiography to prevent complications during surgery of the aortic arch or lower neck.

Persistent hypoglossal artery and its variants diagnosed by CT and MR angiography.

INTRODUCTION: Persistent hypoglossal artery (PHA) is the second most common anastomosis between the carotid and vertebrobasilar systems and demonstrates some variations. We evaluated the prevalence of PHA on computed tomography (CT) angiography. We also evaluated characteristic features of PHA and its variants on magnetic resonance (MR) angiography. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed our database of 2,074 CT angiographic images obtained using either of two 64-slice multidetector CT scanners. We also reviewed our database of 7,646 MR angiographic images obtained using either of two 1.5-T or one 3.0-T imager. We could not determine the exact number of patients whose MR angiography included the hypoglossal canal. Most patients had or were suspected of having cerebrovascular diseases. RESULTS: We found six usual PHAs arising from the cervical internal carotid artery on CT angiography among 2,074 patients. On MR angiography, we also found six additional usual PHAs (total 12, right/left = 6/6, male/female = 3/9), three right PHAs originating from the external carotid artery (ECA), and two posterior inferior cerebellar arteries (PICAs) arising from the ECA without connection to the vertebral artery. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of usual PHA diagnosed by CT angiography was 0.29 %, slightly higher than that reported for angiography and may be due to selection bias in the examined patients. We propose naming usual PHA "type 1 PHA"; PHA originating from the ECA, of which we found three, "type 2 PHA"; and PICA arising from the ECA, of which we found two, "type 2 PHA variant."

Persistent dorsal ophthalmic artery and ophthalmic artery arising from the middle meningeal artery diagnosed by MR angiography at 3 T.

INTRODUCTION: A persistent dorsal ophthalmic artery (OA) is a rare variation that originates from the cavernous segment of the internal carotid artery (ICA) and enters the orbit via the superior orbital fissure (SOF). Occasionally, the OA also arises from the middle meningeal artery (MMA) and enters the orbit via the SOF. These two major variations of the OA have not been well described by magnetic resonance (MR) angiography. We evaluated their prevalence on MR angiography at 3 T. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed our database of MR angiographic images obtained using a 3 T imager. Of images of 846 patients, we evaluated those of 826 patients (1,652 OAs) with special attention to OA origin and its course into the orbit. We excluded images of the 20 because quality was insufficient to assess. RESULTS: We found 7 (0.42%) persistent dorsal OAs among 1,652 OAs (right/left, 6/1; male/female, 3/4). Twenty-four (1.45%) OAs arose from the MMA (right/left/bilateral, 11/5/4; male/female, 10/10), three of which also demonstrated a small normally branching OA. In one patient, we observed both right persistent dorsal OA and left OA arising from the MMA. CONCLUSIONS: Per OA, the prevalence of persistent dorsal OA was 0.42% and of OA arising from the MMA, 1.45%, with a tendency toward right-side predominance. OA arising from the MMA can be seen bilaterally; preprocedural knowledge of this variation is important because of the danger associated with endovascular procedures of the external carotid system when the OA arises from the MMA.

Variation of the origin of the left common carotid artery diagnosed by CT angiography.

INTRODUCTION: The left common carotid artery (LCCA) is usually a second branch of the aortic arch that arises between the brachiocephalic trunk (BCT) and left subclavian artery; relatively frequently, it also arises from or shares a common origin with the BCT. In patients with LCCA of anomalous origin, transfemoral catheterization into the LCCA is sometimes difficult, and transbrachial or transradial approach may be recommended. We evaluated the prevalence of these variations on computed tomography (CT) angiography. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed CT angiographic images of 2,357 patients obtained using either of two 64-slice multidetector CT scanners. All patients were Japanese and underwent scanning from the aortic arch to the intracranial region; most had or were suspected of having cerebrovascular diseases. RESULTS: We evaluated CT angiographic images of 2,352 patients after excluding four patients with LCCA occluded at its origin. The LCCA arose from the BCT in 141 patients (6.0 %) and had a common origin with the BCT in 130 patients (5.5 %). We found 11 aberrant right subclavian artery (0.47 %), and four of the 11 patients (36 %) had LCCA of common origin with the right common carotid artery, forming a bicarotid trunk (prevalence: 0.17 %). CONCLUSIONS: The total prevalence of variations of LCCA origin diagnosed by CT angiography was 11.7 %.

Utility of contrast-enhanced 3D STIR FLAIR imaging for evaluating pituitary adenomas at 3 Tesla.

Purpose: To assess the usefulness of contrast-enhanced 3D STIR FLAIR imaging for evaluation of pituitary adenomas. Methods: Patients with pituitary adenomas underwent MR examinations including contrast-enhanced 3D STIR FLAIR and 2D T1-weighted (T1W) imaging. We subjectively compared the two techniques in terms of 10 categories. In addition, images were rated by side-by-side comparisons into three outcomes: 3D STIR FLAIR imaging superior, equal, or 2D T1W imaging superior. Additionally, the added value of 3D STIR FLAIR imaging for adenoma detection over conventional MR imaging was assessed. Results: Twenty-one patients were included in this study. 3D STIR FLAIR imaging offered significantly better images than 2D T1W imaging in terms of three categories, including overall visualization of the cranial nerves in the cavernous sinus (mean 4.0 vs. 2.8, p < 0.0001), visualization of the optic nerves and chiasm (mean 4.0 vs. 2.6, p < 0.0001), and severity of susceptibility artifacts (mean 0.0 vs. 0.4, p = 0.004). In the side-by-side comparison, 3D STIR FLAIR imaging was judged to be significantly superior to 2D T1W imaging for overall lesion conspicuity (62% vs. 19%, p = 0.049) and border between the adenoma and the pituitary gland (67% vs. 19%, p = 0.031). The addition of 3D STIR FLAIR imaging significantly improved the adenoma detection of conventional MR imaging. Conclusion: 3D STIR FLAIR imaging improved overall lesion conspicuity compared to 2D T1W imaging. We suggest that 3D STIR FLAIR imaging is recommended as a supplemental technique when pituitary adenomas are invisible or equivocal on conventional imaging.

The utility of automatic segmentation of kidney MRI in chronic kidney disease using a 3D convolutional neural network.

We developed a 3D convolutional neural network (CNN)-based automatic kidney segmentation method for patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) using MRI Dixon-based T1-weighted in-phase (IP)/opposed-phase (OP)/water-only (WO) images. The dataset comprised 100 participants with renal dysfunction (RD; eGFR < 45 mL/min/1.73 m2) and 70 without (non-RD; eGFR ≥ 45 mL/min/1.73 m2). The model was applied to the right, left, and both kidneys; it was first evaluated on the non-RD group data and subsequently on the combined data of the RD and non-RD groups. For bilateral kidney segmentation of the non-RD group, the best performance was obtained when using IP image, with a Dice score of 0.902 ± 0.034, average surface distance of 1.46 ± 0.75 mm, and a difference of - 27 ± 21 mL between ground-truth and automatically computed volume. Slightly worse results were obtained for the combined data of the RD and non-RD groups and for unilateral kidney segmentation, particularly when segmenting the right kidney from the OP images. Our 3D CNN-assisted automatic segmentation tools can be utilized in future studies on total kidney volume measurements and various image analyses of a large number of patients with CKD.