• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• 제20권3호
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• pp.175-180
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• 2016

Carbon monoxide (CO) intoxication is a leading cause of the variable neuropsychiatric impairment. Despite of widely known central nerve system complications after CO intoxication, peripheral neuropathy due to CO poisoning is rare and has been under-recognized. We report interesting case of a 29-year-old male who suffered from motor weakness and sensory abnormalities in his lower extremity following acute CO intoxication. The patient revealed direct and indirect signs of peripheral neuropathy of the left inferior gluteal and sciatic nerve on magnetic resonance imaging.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• 제22권1호
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• pp.18-25
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• 2018

Purpose: To investigate the various imaging factors associated with aggravation of lumbar disc herniation (LDH) and develop a scoring system for prediction of LDH aggravation. Materials and Methods: From 2015 to 2017, we retrospectively reviewed the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings of 60 patients (30 patients with aggravated LDH and 30 patients without any altered LDH). Imaging factors for MRI evaluation included the level of LDH, disc degeneration, back muscle atrophy, facet joint degeneration, ligamentum flavum thickness and interspinous ligament degeneration. Flexion-extension difference was measured with simple radiography. The scoring system was analyzed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Results: The aggravated group manifested a higher grade of disc degeneration, back muscle atrophy and facet degeneration than the control group. The ligamentum flavum thickness in the aggravated group was thicker than in the group with unaltered LDH. The summation score was defined as the sum of the grade of disc degeneration, back muscle atrophy and facet joint degeneration. The area under the ROC curve showing the threshold value of the summation score for prediction of aggravation of LDH was 0.832 and the threshold value corresponded to 6.5. Conclusion: Disc degeneration, facet degeneration, back muscle atrophy and ligamentum flavum thickness are important factors in predicting aggravation of LDH and may facilitate the determination of treatment strategy in patients with LDH. The summation score is available as supplemental data.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• 제24권3호
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• pp.168-173
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• 2020

Extranodal lymphoma presents in almost one-third of all non-Hodgkin lymphoma cases. The gastrointestinal tract, skin, and central nervous system are common sites of involvement, whereas the urethra and cervix are very rare. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on concurrent extranodal involvement of the uterine cervix and urethra. We report imaging findings of malignant lymphoma involving urethra and cervix concurrently in a 79-year-old female patient with literature review. The magnetic resonance imaging showed huge intermediate to high signal intensity mass on T2 weighted images and strong homogeneous enhancement in uterine cervix and periurethral area, but no surrounding architectural disruption.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• 제28권3호
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• pp.253-260
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• 2003

In this study, the feasibility of magnetic resonance techniques for nondestructive internal quality evaluation of Korean red ginseng was examined. Relaxation time constants were measured using various grades of red ginsengs. Solid state magnetic resonance imaging technique was applied to image dried red ginsengs which have low moisture contents (about 13%). A 7 tesla magnetic resonance imaging system operating at a proton resonant frequency of 300 ㎒ was used for acquiring MR images of dried Korean red ginseng. The comparison test of cross cut digital images and magnetic resonance images of heaven grade, good grade with cavity inside, and good grade with white part inside red ginseng suggested the feasibility of the internal quality evaluation of Korean red ginsengs using MRI techniques. A good grade red ginseng included abnormal tissues such as cavities or white parts inside was observed by the signal intensity of MR image based on magnetic resonance properties of proton nucleus. Analysis on an one dimensional profile of acquired MR image of Korean red ginseng showed easy discrimination of normal and abnormal tissues. MR techniques suggested ways to detect internal defects of red ginsengs effectively.

• 대한전기학회논문지:시스템및제어부문D
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• 제49권1호
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• pp.48-53
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• 2000

In this paper, we develop a TMS320C31 (60MHz) digital signal processor (DSP) board to synthesize gradient waveforms for Spiral Scan Imaging (SSI), which is one of the ultra fast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) methods widely used. In SSI, accurate gradient waveforms are very essential to high quality magnetic resonance images. For this purpose, sampling rate for synthesizing the gradient waveforms is set twice as high as the data sampling rate. With the developed DSP boards accurate gradient waveforms are obtained. Ultra fast spiral scan imaging with the developed with the developed DSP board is currently under development.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제55권1호
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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.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• 제3권1호
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• pp.13-19
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• 1999

MRI imaging provides many benefits such as noninvasive, 3-dimensional imaging capabilities. But it has relatively serious drawback that is the long data collection time, compared with other imaging modality. Many studies have been performed for fast MR imaging. But EPI and SEPI (4-6) are required to expensive hardware. In this paper, we introduce to Burst imaging technique. It can reduce imaging time by use of a mulitple RF excitation technique. Further it is easily implemented to the normal MRI system. But a pixel profile in the conventional burst sequence is so poor that excited area by burst sequence is a small portion of a pixel. This causes poor signal to noise ratio in burst image. therefore frequency sweeping of RF pulse for burst imaging sequence is proposed to improve pixel profile. A burst pulse train is shaped by liner or nonlinear frequency sweeping function so that all the spins within a pixel are excited, thereby improving the signal to noise ratio. It also shows that the pixel profiles are dependent on how frequency sweep is made. Computer simulations with Bloch equation and experimental results obtained using a 1.0 T NMR imaging system are presented.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• 제40권4호
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• pp.345-352
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• 1993

The role of magnetic resonance(MR) imaging in the evaluation of thoracic disease has been limited Nontheless, MR has inherent properties of better contrast resolution than CT allowing tissue-specific diagnosis. MR has capability of direct imaging in sagittal, coronal, and oblique planes which provide better anatomic information than axial images of CT such as lesions in the pulmonary apex, aorticopulmonary window, peridiaphragmatic region, and subcarinal region. MR is sensitive to blood flow making it an ideal imaging modality for the evaluation of cardiovascular system of the thorax without the need for intravenous contrast media. Technical developments and better control of motion artifacts have resulted in improved image quality, and clinical applications of MR imaging in thoracic diseases have been expanded. Although MR imaging is considered as a problem-solving tool in patients with equivocal CT findings, MR should be used as the primary imaging modality in the following situations: 1) Evaluation of the cardiovascular abnormalities of the thorax 2) Evaluation of the superior sulcus tumors 3) Evaluation of the chest wall invasion or mediastinal invasion by tumor 4) Evaluation of the posterior mediastinal mass, especially neurogenic tumor 5) Differentiation of fibrosis and residual or recurrent tumor, especially in lymphoma 6) Evaluation of brachial plexopathy With technical developments and fast scan capabilities, clinical indications for MR imaging in thorax will increase in the area of pulmonary parenchymal and pulmonary vascular imaging.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• 제18권2호
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• pp.73-84
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• 2015

Pediatric pancreatitis is not uncommon and results in considerable morbidity and mortality in the affected children. Unlike adults, pediatric pancreatitis is more frequently associated with underlying structural abnormalities, trauma, and drugs rather than an idiopathic etiology. Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) is a good imaging modality for evaluating pancreatitis and determining etiology without exposure to radiation. This article focuses on MRCP findings associated with various causes of pancreatitis in children, particularly structural abnormalities of the pancreaticobiliary system, as well as describing the feasibility, limitations, and solutions associated with pediatric MRCP.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• 제20권3호
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• pp.167-174
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• 2016

Purpose: To identify magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings of leukemic infiltration of optic nerve and optic neuritis in leukemic patients with emphasis of clinical findings as reference standard to differentiate them. Materials and Methods: MRI and clinical findings of 7 patients diagnosed as leukemic infiltration of optic nerve (n = 5) and optic neuritis (n = 2) in our institution between July 2006 and August 2015were reviewed retrospectively. In particular, MR imaging findings involved perineural enhancement and thickening of optic nerve and its degree, signal intensity, laterality (unilateral/bilateral), intraconal fat infiltration and its degree, and associated central nervous system abnormalities. Results: Of 5 cases of leukemic infiltration of optic nerve, 4 cases showed positive cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) study for leukemia relapse and 1 case was positive on bone marrow (BM) biopsy only. Moreover, of 5 leukemic infiltration of optic nerve, 2 cases showed the most specific MR findings for leukemic central nervous system involvement including 1 prominent leptomeningeal enhancement and 1 chloroma. However, other MR imaging findings of the patients with leukemic infiltration or optic neuritis such as thickening and perineural enhancement of optic nerves are overlapped. Conclusion: Enhancement and thickening of optic nerve were overlapped MR findings in leukemic infiltration of optic nerve and optic neuritis. Our findings suggest that enhancing optic nerve thickening with associated central nervous system MR abnormality favors the diagnosis of leukemic infiltration of optic nerve, especially in patients with history of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. However, CSF and BM study were required for differentiation between leukemic infiltration of optic nerve and optic neuritis.