• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.231-236
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• 2015

A 17-year-old girl presented with complaints of headache and decreasing vision of one month's duration, without any history of fever, weight loss, or any evidence of an immuno-compromised state. Her neurological examination was normal, except for papilledema. Laboratory investigations were within normal limits, except for a slightly increased Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR). Non-contrast computerized tomography of her head revealed complex mass in left frontal lobe with a concentric, slightly hyperdense, thickened wall, and moderate perilesional edema with mass effect. Differential diagnoses considered in this case were pilocytic astrocytoma, metastasis and abscess. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) obtained in 3.0 Tesla (3.0T) scanner revealed a lobulated outline cystic mass in the left frontal lobe with two concentric layers of T2 hypointense wall, with T2 hyperintensity between the concentric ring. Moderate perilesional edema and mass effect were seen. Post gadolinium study showed a markedly enhancing irregular wall with some enhancing nodular solid component. No restricted diffusion was seen in this mass in diffusion weighted imaging (DWI). Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) showed increased lactate and lipid peaks in the central part of this mass, although some areas at the wall and perilesional T2 hyperintensity showed an increased choline peak without significant decrease in N-acetylaspartate (NAA) level. Arterial spin labelling (ASL) and dynamic susceptibility contrast (DSC) enhanced perfusion study showed decrease in relative cerebral blood volume at this region. These features in MRI were suggestive of brain abscess. The patient underwent craniotomy with excision of a grayish nodular lesion. Abundant acid fast bacilli (AFB) in acid fast staining, and epithelioid cell granulomas, caseation necrosis and Langhans giant cells in histopathology, were conclusive of tubercular abscess. Tubercular brain abscess is a rare manifestation that simulates malignancy and cause diagnostic dilemma. MRI along with MRS and magnetic resonance perfusion studies, are powerful tools to differentiate lesions in such equivocal cases.

• Proceedings of the KSMRM Conference
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• 1998.10a
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• pp.105-113
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• 1998

• Proceedings of the KSMRM Conference
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• 1998.10a
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• pp.114-118
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• 1998

• Proceedings of the KSMRM Conference
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• 1999.04a
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• pp.18-25
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• 1999

• Proceedings of the KSMRM Conference
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• 2000.11a
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• pp.49-49
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• 2000

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.222-228
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• 2023

This study aimed to analyze the applicability of the improved median filter in positron emission tomography (PET)/magnetic resonance (MR) fusion images based on parallel imaging using generalized autocalibrating partially parallel acquisition (GRAPPA). In this study, a PET/MR fusion imaging system based on a 3.0T magnetic field and ¹⁸F radioisotope were used. An improved median filter that can set a mask of the median value more efficiently than before was modeled and applied to the acquired image. As quantitative evaluation parameters of the noise level, the contrast to noise ratio (CNR) and coefficient of variation (COV) were calculated. Additionally, no-reference-based evaluation parameters were used to analyze the overall image quality. We confirmed that the CNR and COV values of the PET/MR fusion images to which the improved median filter was applied improved by approximately 3.32 and 2.19 times on average, respectively, compared to the noisy image. In addition, the no-reference-based evaluation results showed a similar trend for the noise-level results. In conclusion, we demonstrated that it can be supplemented by using an improved median filter, which suggests the problem of image quality degradation of PET/MR fusion images that shortens scan time using GRAPPA.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.47 no.6
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• pp.437-441
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• 2010

Objective : The precise intra- vs. extradural localization of aneurysms involving the paraclinoid internal carotid artery is critical for the evaluation of patients being considered for aneurysm surgery. The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical usefulness of T2-weighted threedimensional (3-D) fast spin-echo (FSE) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in the evaluation of unruptured paraclinoid aneurysms. Methods : Twenty-eight patients with unruptured cerebral aneurysms in their paraclinoid regions were prospectively evaluated using a T2- weighted 3-D FSE MR imaging technique with oblique coronal sections. The MR images were assessed for the location of the cerebral aneurysm in relation to the dural ring and other surrounding anatomic compartments, and were also compared with the surgical or angiographic findings. Results : All 28 aneurysms were identified by T2-weighted 3D FSE MR imaging, which showed the precise anatomic relationships in regards to the subarachnoid space and the surrounding anatomic structures. Consequently, 13 aneurysms were determined to be intradural and the other 15 were deemed extradural as they were confined to the cavernous sinus. Of the 13 aneurysms with intradural locations, three superior hypophyseal artery aneurysms were found to be situated intradurally upon operation. Conclusion : High-resolution T2-weighted 3-D FSE MR imaging is capable of confirming whether a cerebral aneurysm at the paraclinoid region is intradural or extradural, because of the MR imaging's high spatial resolution. The images may help in identifying patients with intradural aneurysms who require treatment, and they also can provide valuable information in the treatment plan for paraclinoid aneurysms.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.252-265
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• 2021

Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) serves as a clinical gold-standard non-invasive imaging technique for the assessment of global and regional cardiac function. Conventional cardiac MRI is limited by the long acquisition time, the need for ECG gating and/or long breathhold, and insufficient spatiotemporal resolution. Real-time cardiac cine MRI refers to high spatiotemporal cardiac imaging using data acquired continuously without synchronization or binning, and therefore of potential interest in overcoming the limitations of conventional cardiac MRI. Novel acquisition and reconstruction techniques must be employed to facilitate real-time cardiac MRI. The goal of this study is to discuss methods that have been developed for real-time cardiac MRI. In particular, we classified existing techniques into two categories based on the use of non-iterative and iterative reconstruction. In addition, we present several research trends in this direction, including deep learning-based image reconstruction and other advanced real-time cardiac MRI strategies that reconstruct images acquired from real-time free-breathing techniques.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.108-116
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• 2006

Purpose : High-resolution spiral-scan imaging is performed at 3 Tesla MRI system. Since the gradient waveforms for the spiral-scan imaging have lower slopes than those for the Echo Planar Imaging (EPI), they can be implemented with the gradient systems having lower slew rates. The spiral-scan imaging also involves less eddy currents due to the smooth gradient waveforms. The spiral-scan imaging method does not suffer from high specific absorption rate (SAR), which is one of the main obstacles in high field imaging for rf echo-based fast imaging methods such as fast spin echo techniques. Thus, the spiral-scan imaging has a great potential for the high-speed imaging in high magnetic fields. In this paper, we presented various high-resolution images obtained by the spiral-scan methods at 3T MRI system for various applications. Materials and Methods : High-resolution spiral-scan imaging technique is implemented at 3T whole body MRI system. An efficient and fast higher-order shimming technique is developed to reduce the inhomogeneity, and the single-shot and interleaved spiral-scan imaging methods are developed. Spin-echo and gradient-echo based spiral-scan imaging methods are implemented, and image contrast and signal-tonoise ratio are controlled by the echo time, repetition time, and the rf flip angles. Results : Spiral-scan images having various resolutions are obtained at 3T MRI system. Since the absolute magnitude of the inhomogeneity is increasing in higher magnetic fields, higher order shimming to reduce the inhomogeneity becomes more important. A fast shimming technique in which axial, sagittal, and coronal sectional inhomogeneity maps are obtained in one scan is developed, and the shimming method based on the analysis of spherical harmonics of the inhomogeneity map is applied. For phantom and invivo head imaging, image matrix size of about $100{\times}100$ is obtained by a single-shot spiral-scan imaging, and a matrix size of $256{\times}256$ is obtained by the interleaved spiral-scan imaging with the number of interleaves of from 6 to 12. Conclusion : High field imaging becomes increasingly important due to the improved signal-to-noise ratio, larger spectral separation, and the higher BOLD-based contrast. The increasing SAR is, however, a limiting factor in high field imaging. Since the spiral-scan imaging has a very low SAR, and lower hardware requirements for the implementation of the technique compared to EPI, it is suitable for a rapid imaging in high fields. In this paper, the spiral-scan imaging with various resolutions from $100{\times}100$ to $256{\times}256$ by controlling the number of interleaves are developed for the high-speed imaging in high magnetic fields.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.285-291
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• 2004

To determine the magnetic resonance (MR) imaging findings and natural history of cerebral fat embolism in a cat model, and to correlate the MR imaging and histologic fmdings. Intemel carotid artery of 11 cats was injected with 0.1 ml of triolein. T2-weighted, T1-weighted and Gd-enhanced T1-weighted images were obtained serially for 2 hours, 1 days, 4 days, 1 week, 2 weeks and 3 weeks after embolization. Any abnormal signal intensity was evaluated. After MR imaging at 3 weeks, brain tissue was obtained for light microscopic (LM) examination using hematoxylin-eosin (HE) and Luxol fast blue staining, and for electron microscopic examination. The LM examination with HE staining revealed normal histological findings in the greater part of an embolized lesion. Cystic change was observed in the gray matter of 8 cats, while in the gray and white matter of 3 cats. At LM examination, Luxol fast blue, staining demonstrated demyelination around the cystic change occurring in the white matter, and EM examination of the embolized cortex revealed sporadic intracapillary fat vacuoles (n=11) and disruption of the blood-brain barrier (n=4). Most lesions were normal, however, and perivascular interstitial edema and cellular swelling were mild compared with the control side. The greater part of an embolized lesion showed reversible findings at MR and histological examination. Irreversible focal necrosis was, however, observed in gray and white matter at weeks 3.