Search

Over the last decades, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has emerged as a valuable adjunct to prenatal ultrasound for evaluating fetal malformations. Several radiological societies advocate for standardised and structured reporting practices to enhance the uniformity of imaging language. Compared to narrative formats, standardised and structured reports offer enhanced content quality, minimise reader variability, have the potential to save reporting time, and streamline the communication between specialists by employing a shared lexicon. Structured reporting holds promise for mitigating medico-legal liability, while also facilitating rigorous scientific data analyses and the development of standardised databases. While structured reporting templates for fetal MRI are already in use in some centres, specific recommendations and/or guidelines from international societies are scarce in the literature. The purpose of this paper is to propose a standardised and structured reporting template for fetal MRI to assist radiologists, particularly those with less experience, in delivering systematic reports. Additionally, the paper aims to offer an overview of the anatomical structures that necessitate reporting and the prevalent normative values for fetal biometrics found in current literature., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Currently, no objective method exists to measure the extent of fibrosis in swallowing musculature in head and neck cancer (HNC) patients. We developed and psychometrically tested a method of quantifying fibrosis volume using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The overall aim of this study was to determine if clinical MRI is a reliable tool to measure fibrosis of the pharyngeal musculature in patients with HNC managed with RT and to assess its potential to capture changes in fibrosis over time. Eligible participants were adults with HNC treated with radiation therapy (RT) who received minimally two MRIs and videofluoroscopic swallow (VFS) studies from baseline (pre-RT) up to 1-year post-RT. Two neuroradiologists independently contoured fibrosis volume in batches from MRIs using Vitrea™. Sufficient inter-rater reliability was set at Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) > 0.75. Two speech-language pathologists independently rated VFSs for swallowing impairment using standardized scales, with discrepancies resolved by consensus. MRI and VFS scores were correlated using Spearman's rank coefficient. Participants included 42 adults (male = 33); mean age 59 (SD = 8.8). ICC (95% Confidence Interval) for fibrosis volume was 0.34 (0, 0.76) for batch one and 0.43 (0, 0.82) for batch two. Consensus meetings were held after each batch. Sufficient reliability was reached by batch three (ICC = 0.95 (0.79, 0.99)). Fibrosis volume increased significantly from 3 to 12 months (mean change = 1.28 mL (SD = 5.21), p = 0.006), as did pharyngeal impairment from baseline to 12 months (mean score change = 3.05 (SD = 3.02), p = 0.003). Fibrosis volume moderately correlated with pharyngeal impairment at 3 and 12 months (0.49, p = 0.004 and 0.59, p = 0.005, respectively). We demonstrated a reliable measure of fibrosis volume in swallowing musculature from existing clinical MRIs and identified that larger fibrosis volume was associated with worse swallowing function. The reliable capture of fibrosis volume offers a pragmatic method for early detection of fibrosis and concomitant dysphagia., Competing Interests: Declarations. Conflict of interest: The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose., (© 2024. Crown.)

Accumulating evidence have documented sex differences in brain anatomy from early childhood to late adulthood. However, whether sex difference of brain structure emerges in the neonatal brain and how sex modulates the development of cortical morphology during the perinatal stage remains unclear. Here, we utilized T2-weighted MRI from the Developing Human Connectome Project (dHCP) database, consisting of 41 male and 40 female neonates born between 35 and 43 postmenstrual weeks (PMW). Neonates of each sex were arranged in a continuous ascending order of age to capture the progressive changes in cortical thickness and curvature throughout the developmental continuum. The maturational covariance network (MCN) was defined as the coupled developmental fluctuations of morphology measures between cortical regions. We constructed MCNs based on the two features, respectively, to illustrate their developmental interdependencies, and then compared the network topology between sexes. Our results showed that cortical structural development exhibited a localized pattern in both males and females, with no significant sex differences in the developmental trajectory of cortical morphology, overall organization, nodal importance, and modular structure of the MCN. Furthermore, by merging male and female neonates into a unified cohort, we identified evident dependencies influences in structural development between different brain modules using the Granger causality analysis (GCA), emanating from high-order regions toward primary cortices. Our findings demonstrate that the maturational pattern of cortical morphology may not differ between sexes during the perinatal period, and provide evidence for the developmental causality among cortical structures in perinatal brains., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a demyelinating neurological disorder with a highly heterogeneous clinical presentation and course of progression. Disease-modifying therapies are the only available treatment, as there is no known cure for the disease. Careful selection of suitable therapies is necessary, as they can be accompanied by serious risks and adverse effects such as infection. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) plays a central role in the diagnosis and management of MS, though MRI lesions have displayed only moderate associations with MS clinical outcomes, known as the clinico-radiological paradox. With the advent of machine learning (ML) in healthcare, the predictive power of MRI can be improved by leveraging both traditional and advanced ML algorithms capable of analyzing increasingly complex patterns within neuroimaging data. The purpose of this review was to examine the application of MRI-based ML for prediction of MS disease progression. Studies were divided into five main categories: predicting the conversion of clinically isolated syndrome to MS, cognitive outcome, EDSS-related disability, motor disability and disease activity. The performance of ML models is discussed along with highlighting the influential MRI-derived biomarkers. Overall, MRI-based ML presents a promising avenue for MS prognosis. However, integration of imaging biomarkers with other multimodal patient data shows great potential for advancing personalized healthcare approaches in MS., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

In patients with drug-resistant epilepsy, difficulties in identifying the epileptogenic zone are well known to correlate with poorer clinical outcomes post-surgery. The integration of PET and MRI in the presurgical assessment of pediatric patients likely improves diagnostic precision by confirming or widening treatment targets. PET and MRI together offer superior insights compared to either modality alone. For instance, PET highlights abnormal glucose metabolism, while MRI precisely localizes structural anomalies, providing a comprehensive understanding of the epileptogenic zone. Furthermore, both methodologies, whether utilized through simultaneous PET/MRI scanning or the co-registration of separately acquired PET and MRI data, present unique advantages, having complementary roles in lesional and non-lesional cases. Simultaneous FDG-PET/MRI provides precise co-registration of functional (PET) and structural (MR) imaging in a convenient one-stop-shop approach, which minimizes sedation time and reduces radiation exposure in children. Commercially available fusion software that allows retrospective co-registration of separately acquired PET and MRI images is a commonly used alternative. This review provides an overview and illustrative cases that highlight the role of combining 18F-FDG-PET and MRI imaging and shares the authors' decade-long experience utilizing simultaneous PET/MRI in the presurgical evaluation of pediatric epilepsy., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a crucial tool for clinical evaluation of the brain and neuroscience research. Obtaining successful non-sedated MRI in children who live in resource-limited settings may be an additional challenge., Objective: To present a feasibility study of a novel, low-cost MRI training protocol used in a clinical research study in a rural/semi-rural region of Colombia and to examine neurodevelopmental factors associated with successful scans., Materials and Methods: Fifty-seven typically developing Colombian children underwent a training protocol and non-sedated brain MRI at age 7. Group training utilized a customized booklet, an MRI toy set, and a simple mock scanner. Children attended MRI visits in small groups of two to three. Resting-state functional and structural images were acquired on a 1.5-Tesla scanner with a protocol duration of 30-40 minutes. MRI success was defined as the completion of all sequences and no more than mild motion artifact. Associations between the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI), Movement Assessment Battery for Children (MABC), Behavioral Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF), Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), and Adaptive Behavior Assessment System (ABAS) scores and MRI success were analyzed., Results: Mean (SD) age at first MRI attempt was 7.2 (0.2) years (median 7.2 years, interquartile range 7.1-7.3 years). Twenty-six (45.6%) participants were male. Fifty-one (89.5%) children were successful across two attempts; 44 (77.2%) were successful on their first attempt. Six (10.5%) were unsuccessful due to refusal or excessive motion. Age, sex, and scores across all neurodevelopmental assessments (MABC, TVIP, ABAS, BRIEF, CBCL, NIH Toolbox Flanker, NIH Toolbox Pattern Comparison, WPPSI) were not associated with likelihood of MRI success (P=0.18, 0.19, 0.38, 0.92, 0.84, 0.80, 1.00, 0.16, 0.75, 0.86, respectively)., Conclusion: This cohort of children from a rural/semi-rural region of Colombia demonstrated comparable MRI success rates to other published cohorts after completing a low-cost MRI familiarization training protocol suitable for low-resource settings. Achieving non-sedated MRI success in children in low-resource and international settings is important for the continuing diversification of pediatric research studies., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Purpose: Detection and prediction of the rate of brain volume loss with age is a significant unmet need in patients with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS). In this study we construct detailed brain volume maps for PPMS patients. These maps compare age-related changes in both cortical and sub-cortical regions with those in healthy individuals., Methods: We conducted retrospective analyses of brain volume using T1-weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans of a large cohort of PPMS patients and healthy subjects. The volume of brain parenchyma (BP), cortex, white matter (WM), deep gray matter, thalamus, and cerebellum were measured using the robust SynthSeg segmentation tool. Age- and gender-related regression curves were constructed based on data from healthy subjects, with the 95% prediction interval adopted as the normality threshold for each brain region., Results: We analyzed 495 MRI scans from 169 PPMS patients, aged 20-79 years, alongside 563 exams from healthy subjects aged 20-86. Compared to healthy subjects, a higher proportion of PPMS patients showed lower than expected brain volumes in all regions except the cerebellum. The most affected areas were BP, WM, and thalamus. Lower brain volumes correlated with longer disease duration for BP and WM, and higher disability for BP, WM, cortex, and thalamus., Conclusions: Constructing age- and gender-related brain volume maps enabled identifying PPMS patients at a higher risk of brain volume loss. Monitoring these high-risk patients may lead to better treatment decisions and improve patient outcomes., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

There is a diverse array of pediatric brain tumors with considerable associated morbidity. Like adult brain tumors, MRI serves as the primary imaging modality for pediatric brain tumors. In addition to standard sequences, more advanced MRI techniques can enhance the precision of diagnosis and assist in prognostication, and treatment planning. This paper discusses these various advanced techniques categorizing them into those that assist in identifying tissue characteristics, and those that evaluate the functional impact of tumors to aid in treatment planning., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Early identification and intervention of abnormal brain development individual subjects are of great significance, especially during the earliest and most active stage of brain development in children aged under 3. Neuroimage-based brain's biological age has been associated with health, ability, and remaining life. However, the existing brain age prediction models based on neuroimage are predominantly adult-oriented. Here, we collected 658 T1-weighted MRI scans from 0 to 3 years old healthy controls and developed an accurate brain age prediction model for young children using deep learning techniques with high accuracy in capturing age-related changes. The performance of the deep learning-based model is comparable to that of the SVR-based model, showcasing remarkable precision and yielding a noteworthy correlation of 91% between the predicted brain age and the chronological age. Our results demonstrate the accuracy of convolutional neural network (CNN) brain-predicted age using raw T1-weighted MRI data with minimum preprocessing necessary. We also applied our model to children with low birth weight, premature delivery history, autism, and ADHD, and discovered that the brain age was delayed in children with extremely low birth weight (less than 1000 g) while ADHD may cause accelerated aging of the brain. Our child-specific brain age prediction model can be a valuable quantitative tool to detect abnormal brain development and can be helpful in the early identification and intervention of age-related brain disorders., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is now an indispensable diagnostic tool in medicine due to its outstanding contrast resolution and absence of radiation exposure, enabling detailed tissue characterization and three-dimensional anatomical representation. This is especially important when evaluating individuals with congenital heart disease (CHD) who frequently require cardiac implantable electrical devices (CIEDs). While MRI safety issues have previously limited its use in patients with CIEDs, new advances have called these limitations into question. However, difficulties persist in the pediatric population due to the continued lack of specific safety data both related to imaging young children and the specific CIED devices they often require. This paper discusses MRI safety considerations related to imaging patients with CIEDs, investigates pediatric-specific problems, and describes thorough methods for safe MRI access, highlighting the significance of specialized institutional guidelines., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Individual variability in cognition and behavior results from the differences in brain structure and function that have already emerged before birth. However, little is known about individual variability in brain functional architecture at local level in neonates which is of great significance to explore owing to largely undeveloped long-range functional connectivity and segregated functions in early brain development. To address this, resting-state fMRI data of 163 neonates ranged from 32 to 45 postconceptional weeks (PCW) were used in this study, and various functional features including functional parcellation similarity, local brain activity and local functional connectivity were used to characterize individual functional variability. We observed significantly higher local functional individual variability in superior parietal, sensorimotor, and visual cortex, and lower variability in the frontal, insula and cingulate cortex relative to other regions within each hemisphere. The mean local functional individual variability significantly increased with age, and the age effect was found larger in brain regions such as the occipital, temporal, prefrontal and parietal cortex. Our findings promote the understanding of brain plasticity and regional differential maturation in the early stage., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Purpose: To develop and validate a deep learning (DL) model for detecting lumbar degenerative disease in both sagittal and axial views of T2-weighted MRI and evaluate its generalized performance in detecting cervical degenerative disease., Methods: T2-weighted MRI scans of 804 patients with symptoms of lumbar degenerative disease were retrospectively collected from three hospitals. The training dataset (n = 456) and internal validation dataset (n = 134) were randomly selected from the center I. Two external validation datasets comprising 100 and 114 patients were from center II and center III, respectively. A DL model based on 3D ResNet18 and transformer architecture was proposed to detect lumbar degenerative disease. In addition, a cervical MR image dataset comprising 200 patients from an independent hospital was used to evaluate the generalized performance of the DL model. The diagnostic performance was assessed by the free-response receiver operating characteristic (fROC) curve and precision-recall (PR) curve. Precision, recall, and F1-score were used to measure the DL model., Results: A total of 2497 three-dimension retrogression annotations were labeled for training (n = 1157) and multicenter validation (n = 1340). The DL model showed excellent detection efficiency in the internal validation dataset, with F1-score achieving 0.971 and 0.903 on the sagittal and axial MR images, respectively. Good performance was also observed in the external validation dataset I (F1-score, 0.768 on sagittal MR images and 0.837 on axial MR images) and external validation dataset II (F1-score, 0.787 on sagittal MR images and 0.770 on axial MR images). Furthermore, the robustness of the DL model was demonstrated via transfer learning and generalized performance evaluation on the external cervical dataset, with the F1-score yielding 0.931 and 0.919 on the sagittal and axial MR images, respectively., Conclusion: The proposed DL model can automatically detect lumbar and cervical degenerative disease on T2-weighted MR images with good performance, robustness, and feasibility in clinical practice., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has emerged as the preferred imaging modality for evaluating a wide range of pediatric medical conditions. Nevertheless, the long acquisition times associated with this technique can limit its widespread use in young children, resulting in motion-degraded or non-diagnostic studies. As a result, sedation or general anesthesia is often necessary to obtain diagnostic images, which has implications for the safety profile of MRI, the cost of the exam and the radiology department's clinical workflow. Over the last decade, several techniques have been developed to increase the speed of MRI, including parallel imaging, single-shot acquisition, controlled aliasing techniques, compressed sensing and artificial-intelligence-based reconstructions. These are advantageous because shorter examinations decrease the need for sedation and the severity of motion artifacts, increase scanner throughput, and improve system efficiency. In this review we discuss a framework for image acceleration in children that includes the synergistic use of state-of-the-art MRI hardware and optimized pulse sequences. The discussion is framed within the context of pediatric radiology and incorporates the authors' experience in deploying these techniques in routine clinical practice., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

While NMR-based metabolomics is only about 20 years old, NMR has been a key part of metabolic and metabolism studies for >40 years. Historically, metabolic researchers used NMR because of its high level of reproducibility, superb instrument stability, facile sample preparation protocols, inherently quantitative character, non-destructive nature, and amenability to automation. In this chapter, we provide a short history of NMR-based metabolomics. We then provide a detailed description of some of the practical aspects of performing NMR-based metabolomics studies including sample preparation, pulse sequence selection, and spectral acquisition and processing. The two different approaches to metabolomics data analysis, targeted vs. untargeted, are briefly outlined. We also describe several software packages to help users process NMR spectra obtained via these two different approaches. We then give several examples of useful or interesting applications of NMR-based metabolomics, ranging from applications to drug toxicology, to identifying inborn errors of metabolism to analyzing the contents of biofluids from dairy cattle. Throughout this chapter, we will highlight the strengths and limitations of NMR-based metabolomics. Additionally, we will conclude with descriptions of recent advances in NMR hardware, methodology, and software and speculate about where NMR-based metabolomics is going in the next 5-10 years., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Purpose: Despite, currently, "state-of-the-art" magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) protocols for head and neck (H&N) lesion assessment incorporate perfusion sequences, these acquisitions require the intravenous injection of exogenous gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs), which may have potential risks. Alternative techniques such as arterial spin labeling (ASL) can provide quantitative microvascular information similar to conventional perfusion sequences for H&N lesions evaluation, as a potential alternative without GBCA administration., Methods: We review the existing literature and analyze the latest evidence regarding ASL in H&N area highlighting the technical adjustments needed for a proper ASL acquisition in this challenging region for lesion characterization, treatment monitoring, and tumor recurrence detection., Results: ASL techniques, widely used for central nervous system lesions evaluation, can be also applied to the H&N region. Technical adjustments, especially regarding post-labeling delay, are mandatory to obtain robust and reproducible results. Several studies have demonstrated the feasibility of ASL in the H&N area including the orbits, skull base, paranasal sinuses, upper airway, salivary glands, and thyroid., Conclusion: ASL is a feasible technique for the assessment of H&N lesions without the need of GBCAs. This manuscript reviews ASL's physical basis, emphasizing the technical adjustments necessary for proper ASL acquisition in this unique and challenging anatomical region, and the main applications in evaluating H&N lesions., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Objective: To investigate cardiac involvement in patients with sporadic inclusion body myositis (IBM) by cardiac magnetic resonance tomography (CMR)., Methods: A case series of 20 patients with IBM underwent basic cardiac assessment and CMR including functional imaging, native and contrast-enhanced T1-weighted, and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) imaging., Results: All IBM patients reported no cardiac symptoms. Echocardiography was normal in 16/17 IBM patients. In CMR, IBM patients had normal ejection fractions (mean LVEF 63 ± 7%) and ventricular mass. They had reduced left (mean 55 versus 88 ml) and right ventricular stroke volumes (mean 54 versus 86 ml) and increased early myocardial enhancement (pathological T1 Ratio in 44% versus 5%), as compared to age- and gender-matched controls. Since arterial hypertension was more often observed in IBM patients, hypertensive heart disease can also be causative for these changes. Late gadolinium enhancement did not differ statistically from healthy controls. There was no apparent association between elevated biomarkers, echocardiography and CMR., Conclusion: CMR revealed subtle changes in cardiac geometry and tissue characterization in IBM patients when compared to a gender- and age-matched control group. Findings in CMR indicated a higher extent of diffuse myocardial fibrosis as well as smaller left ventricular stroke volumes. These alterations may be due to a higher prevalence of arterial hypertension in the IBM cohort.

Purpose: The positive association between low back pain and MRI evidence of vertebral endplate bone marrow lesions, often called Modic changes (MC), offers the exciting prospect of diagnosing a specific phenotype of chronic low back pain (LBP). However, imprecision in the reporting of MC has introduced substantial challenges, as variations in both imaging equipment and scanning parameters can impact conspicuity of MC. This review discusses key methodological factors that impact MC classification and recommends guidelines for more consistent MC reporting that will allow for better integration of research into this LBP phenotype., Methods: Non-systematic literature review., Results: The high diagnostic specificity of MC classification for a painful level contributes to the significant association observed between MC and LBP, whereas low and variable sensitivity underlies the between- and within-study variability in observed associations. Poor sensitivity may be owing to the presence of other pain generators, to the limited MRI resolution, and to the imperfect reliability of MC classification, which lowers diagnostic sensitivity and thus influences the association between MC and LBP. Importantly, magnetic field strength and pulse sequence parameters also impact detection of MC. Advances in pulse sequences may improve reliability and prove valuable for quantifying lesion severity., Conclusions: Comparison of MC data between studies can be problematic. Various methodological factors impact detection and classification of MC, and the lack of reporting guidelines hinders interpretation and comparison of findings. Thus, it is critical to adopt imaging and reporting standards that codify acceptable methodological criteria. These slides can be retrieved under Electronic Supplementary Material.

Imaging of the larynx and hypopharynx is frequently requested to assess the extent of neoplasms beyond the field of view of endoscopic evaluation. The combination of optical and cross-sectional imaging allows tumors to be classified according to AJCC/UICC guidelines. A thorough understanding of laryngeal and hypopharyngeal anatomy is crucial to guide the radiological eye along the possible pathways of the spread of diseases and to guide differential diagnoses. Computed tomography (CT) has been the first cross-sectional imaging technique used to evaluate the larynx and hypopharynx; its spatial resolution combined with volumetric capability and the use of injectable contrast medium made CT the working horse in the assessment of neoplastic and inflammatory diseases. In the last two decades, magnetic resonance (MR) supported CT in the most challenging cases, when the optimal contrast resolution due to the multisequence portfolio is needed to assess the neoplastic involvement of laryngeal cartilages, paraglottic space(s), and extra laryngeal spread. The aim of this paper is to give a comprehensive radiological overview of larynx and hypopharynx complex anatomy, combining in vivo images, anatomical sections, and images of ex vivo specimens., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The brainstem plays an essential role in many vital functions, such as autonomic control, consciousness and sleep, motricity, somatic afferent function, and cognition. Its involvement in several neurological diseases and the definition of brainstem targets for deep brain stimulation (DBS) explain the need for brainstem atlases describing its structural organization and connectivity from several modalities, from histology to ultrahigh field ex vivo MRI. Nonetheless, these atlases are often limited to a subpart of the brainstem or only include a single subject, the brainstem variability being considered low. This paper proposes a pipeline to create a high-resolution multisubject probabilistic atlas of the whole human brainstem based on four ultrahigh field ex vivo MRI datasets. The variability of the brainstem structures appears higher than usually considered, both for the volume and position of the central gray matter structures of the brainstem. This justifies the creation of atlases that capture the anatomical variability across subjects. The one we present here only included four specimens, but can easily be incremented due to its highly flexible design., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Purpose: Artifacts in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans degrade image quality and thus negatively affect the outcome measures of clinical and research scanning. Considering the time-consuming and subjective nature of visual quality control (QC), multiple (semi-)automatic QC algorithms have been developed. This systematic review presents an overview of the available (semi-)automatic QC algorithms and software packages designed for raw, structural T1-weighted (T1w) MRI datasets. The objective of this review was to identify the differences among these algorithms in terms of their features of interest, performance, and benchmarks., Methods: We queried PubMed, EMBASE (Ovid), and Web of Science databases on the fifth of January 2023, and cross-checked reference lists of retrieved papers. Bias assessment was performed using PROBAST (Prediction model Risk Of Bias ASsessment Tool)., Results: A total of 18 distinct algorithms were identified, demonstrating significant variations in methods, features, datasets, and benchmarks. The algorithms were categorized into rule-based, classical machine learning-based, and deep learning-based approaches. Numerous unique features were defined, which can be roughly divided into features capturing entropy, contrast, and normative measures., Conclusion: Due to dataset-specific optimization, it is challenging to draw broad conclusions about comparative performance. Additionally, large variations exist in the used datasets and benchmarks, further hindering direct algorithm comparison. The findings emphasize the need for standardization and comparative studies for advancing QC in MR imaging. Efforts should focus on identifying a dataset-independent measure as well as algorithm-independent methods for assessing the relative performance of different approaches., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: The Fetal Imaging Taskforce was established in 2018 by the European Society of Paediatric Radiology. The first survey on European practice of fetal imaging published in 2020 revealed that 30% of fetal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is performed at 3 tesla (T). The purpose of this second survey was to identify the impact of 3-T fetal MRI with an emphasis on image quality, diagnostic yield, and technical challenges and artifacts at higher field strengths., Objective: To describe the prenatal imaging practice at 3-T MRI units in various centres in Europe and to prepare recommendations on behalf of the Fetal Imaging Taskforce., Materials and Methods: A survey was sent to all members performing 3-T fetal MRI. Questions included practitioner experience, magnet brand, protocols, counselling, artifacts and benefits of imaging at higher field strengths., Results: Twenty-seven centres replied and reported improved spatial resolution and improved signal-to-noise ratio when performing fetal MRI at 3 T. Shading and banding artifacts and susceptibility to motion artifacts were common problems identified by practitioners at the higher field strength. For all neurological indications, practitioners reported a benefit of imaging at 3 T, most marked for posterior fossa evaluation and parenchymal lesions., Conclusion: The use of 3-T magnets in fetal MRI has improved the availability and quality of advanced imaging sequences and allowed for better anatomical evaluation. There remain significant challenges to minimize the impact of artifacts on image quality. This paper includes guidelines for clinical practice and imaging at 3 T., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The goal of functional renal imaging is to identify and quantitate irreversible renal damage and nephron loss, as well as potentially reversible hemodynamic changes. MR urography has evolved into a comprehensive evaluation of the urinary tract that combines anatomical imaging with functional evaluation in a single test without ionizing radiation. Quantitative functional MR imaging is based on dynamic contrast-enhanced MR acquisitions that provide progressive, visible enhancement of the renal parenchyma and urinary tract. The signal changes related to perfusion, concentration and excretion of the contrast agent can be evaluated using both quantitative and qualitative measures. Functional evaluation with MR has continued to improve as a result of significant technical advances allowing for faster image acquisition as well as the development of new tracer kinetic models of renal function. The most common indications for MR urography in children are the evaluation of congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract including hydronephrosis and renal malformations, and the identification of ectopic ureters in children with incontinence. In this paper, we review the underlying acquisition schemes and techniques used to generate quantitative functional parameters including the differential renal function (DRF), asymmetry index, mean transit time (MTT), signal intensity versus time curves as well as the calculation of individual kidney glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Visual inspection and semi-quantitative assessment using the renal transit time (RTT) and calyceal transit times (CTT) are fundamental to accurate diagnosis and are used as a basis for the interpretation of the quantitative data. The importance of visual assessment of the images cannot be overstated when analyzing the quantitative measures of renal function., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Magnetic resonance imaging is widely available and accepted as the imaging method of choice for many pediatric body imaging applications. Traditionally, it has been used in a qualitative way, where the images are reported non-numerically by radiologists. But now MRI machines have built-in post-processing software connected to the scanner and the database of MR images. This setting enables and encourages simple quantitative analysis of MR images. In this paper, the author reviews the fundamentals of MRI and discusses the most common quantitative MRI techniques for body imaging: T1, T2, T2*, T1rho and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI). For each quantitative imaging method, this article reviews the technique, its measurement mechanism, and selected clinical applications to body imaging., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the pediatric mediastinum is challenging for the practicing radiologist. Many confounding factors add to the complexity of pediatric mediastinal MRI including small patient size, broad spectrum of mediastinal pathologies, motion artifacts and the need for sedation in a significant portion of children. However, with special attention to motion-reduction techniques and knowledge of pediatric-specific considerations, pediatric radiologists can help to provide accurate and timely diagnosis and also prevent multimodality imaging where MRI might be all that is needed. The purpose of this paper was present a practical review of pediatric mediastinal MRI with particular emphasis on diseases where MRI is the primary imaging modality of choice. Additionally, the author addresses those mediastinal processes for which MRI serves as a secondary problem-solving imaging tool., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)