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The objective of this study was to compare conventional breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with breast MRI acquired with the sensitivity-encoding (SENSE) technique on a 1.5-T MRI scanner in the same patient, on the basis of image quality and kinetics analysis.Thirty-one patients with suspicious mammography and US findings were included in the study. Conventional breast MRI consisted of the following sequences: T1 (matrix, 288 x 512); T2 (matrix 225 x 512); short tau inversion recovery (STIR) (matrix 320 x 224) and dynamic T1 [2D fast-field echo (FFE)] (matrix 256 x 512; temporal resolutionor=80 s). The SENSE technique included the following sequences: T1 (matrix 512 x 512); T2 (matrix 512 x 512); short-tau inversion recovery (STIR) (matrix 320 x 224); dynamic T1 (3D FFE) (matrix 512 x 512, with a temporal resolutionor=70 s). Image quality was graded on a four-point scale, and the mean scores given to each sequence were compared between the two protocols. The relative enhancement rates and the qualitative features of the signal intensity (SI)/time curves were also compared between the two protocols.The readers found 64 contrast-enhanced lesions in 31 patients. Nineteen patients had a total of 27 malignant lesions. In the remaining 12 patients, 37 benign lesions were found. No significant differences between the two protocols were observed with regard to the mean relative enhancement rates and the qualitative features of the SI/time curves. In detail, the mean image quality scores were higher for SENSE imaging (p0.05). The mean image quality score for the T1 and T2 morphological sequences were comparable. In contrast, the quality scores for the STIR images differed significantly between the two protocols (p0.001), and a significant difference was also observed when comparing the T1 postcontrast images (p0.001).Our data suggest that the SENSE imaging protocol applied in our study is superior to conventional imaging with regard to image quality, especially for T1 postcontrast and STIR images. SENSE imaging protocols may provide an alternative to conventional sequences for contrast-enhanced MRI of the breast using 1.5-T MR scanners.

Renal cell carcinoma can metastasize to virtually any site. Skeletal muscle metastasis is not common. The correct diagnosis of metastatic renal cell carcinoma to skeletal muscle is difficult in comparison with soft-tissue metastasis diagnosis. We report the case of a 58-year-old man with skeletal muscle metastasis from a clear-type renal cell carcinoma 5 years after total nephrectomy. The tumour was located in the proximal left tight at the level of the great adductor muscle. Clinical work-up included both 18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography combined with non-contrast computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. The mass was widely excised and was confirmed to be a metastasis from renal cell carcinoma. Maintaining a high degree of suspicion of metastatic renal cell carcinoma is required for patients with a history of renal cell carcinoma. Positron emission tomography, combined with computed tomography, appears to be an effective surveillance tool. Magnetic resonance imaging is helpful in the differential diagnosis from primary soft-tissue tumours.

In laparoscopy the pneumoperitoneum, increasing intra-abdominal pressure, could impair cardiac performance and determine adverse cardiopulmonary effects. We have assessed the influence of laparoscopic surgery on selected hemodynamic-volumetric parameters by the PiCCO device (pulse contour analysis and transpulmonary technique).