• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• 제20권1호
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• pp.44-52
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• 2016

Purpose: To quantitatively and qualitatively compare fat-suppressed MRI quality using iterative decomposition of water and fat with echo asymmetry and least-squares estimation (IDEAL) with that using frequency selective fat-suppression (FSFS) T2- and postcontrast T1-weighted fast spin-echo images of the head and neck at 3T. Materials and Methods: The study was approved by our Institutional Review Board. Prospective MR image analysis was performed in 36 individuals at a single-center. Axial fat suppressed T2- and postcontrast T1-weighted images with IDEAL and FSFS were compared. Visual assessment was performed by two independent readers with respect to; 1) metallic artifacts around oral cavity, 2) susceptibility artifacts around upper airway, paranasal sinus, and head-neck junction, 3) homogeneity of fat suppression, 4) image sharpness, 5) tissue contrast of pathologies and lymph nodes. The signal-to-noise ratios (SNR) for each image sequence were assessed. Results: Both IDEAL fat suppressed T2- and T1-weighted images significantly reduced artifacts around airway, paranasal sinus, and head-neck junction, and significantly improved homogeneous fat suppression in compared to those using FSFS (P < 0.05 for all). IDEAL significantly decreased artifacts around oral cavity on T2-weighted images (P < 0.05, respectively) and improved sharpness, lesion-to-tissue, and lymph node-to-tissue contrast on T1-weighted images (P < 0.05 for all). The mean SNRs were significantly improved on both T1- and T2-weighted IDEAL images (P < 0.05 for all). Conclusion: IDEAL technique improves image quality in the head and neck by reducing artifacts with homogeneous fat suppression, while maintaining a high SNR.

• Journal of Magnetics
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• 제17권2호
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• pp.145-152
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• 2012

Patients who underwent hip arthroplasty using the conventional fat suppression technique (CHESS) and a new technique (IDEAL) were compared quantitatively to assess the effectiveness and usefulness of the IDEAL technique. In 20 patients who underwent hip arthroplasty from March 2009 to December 2010, fat suppression T2 and T1 weighted images were obtained on a 3.0T MR scanner using the CHESS and IDEAL techniques. The level of distortion in the area of interest, the level of the development of susceptibility artifacts, and homogeneous fat suppression were analyzed from the acquired images. Quantitative analysis revealed the IDEAL technique to produce a lower level of image distortion caused by the development of susceptibility artifacts due to metal on the acquired images compared to the CHESS technique. Qualitative analysis of the anterior area revealed the IDEAL technique to generate fewer susceptibility artifacts than the CHESS technique but with homogeneous fat suppression. In the middle area, the IDEAL technique generated fewer susceptibility artifacts than the CHESS technique but with homogeneous fat suppression. In the posterior area, the IDEAL technique generated fewer susceptibility artifacts than the CHESS technique. Fat suppression was not statistically different, and the two techniques achieved homogeneous fat suppression. In conclusion, the IDEAL technique generated fewer susceptibility artifacts caused by metals and less image distortion than the CHESS technique. In addition, homogeneous fat suppression was feasible. In conclusion, the IDEAL technique generates high quality images, and can provide good information for diagnosis.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• 제20권2호
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• pp.105-113
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• 2016

Purpose: Susceptibility vessel sign (SVS) on gradient echo image, which is caused by MR signal loss due to arterial thrombosis, has been reported in acute middle cerebral artery (MCA) infarction. However, the reported sensitivity and diagnostic accuracy of SVS have been variable. Susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) is a newly developed MR sequence. Recent studies have found that SWI may be useful in the field of cerebrovascular diseases, especially for detecting the presence of prominent veins, microbleeds and the SVS. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic values of SWI for the detection of hyperacute MCA occlusion. Materials and Methods: Sixty-nine patients (37 males, 32 females; 46-89 years old [mean, 69.1]) with acute stroke involving the MCA territory underwent MR imaging within 6 hours after the symptom onset. MR examination included T2, FLAIR (fluid-attenuated inversion recovery), DWI, SWI, PWI (perfusion-weighted imaging), contrast-enhanced MR angiography (MRA) and contrast-enhanced T1. Of these patients, 28 patients also underwent digital subtraction angiography (DSA) within 2 hours after MR examination. Presence or absence of SVS on SWI was assessed without knowledge of clinical, DSA and other MR imaging findings. Results: On MRA or DSA, 34 patients (49.3%) showed MCA occlusion. Of these patients, SVS was detected in 30 (88.2%) on SWI. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and diagnostic accuracy of SWI were 88.2%, 97.1%, 96.8%, 89.5% and 92.8%, respectively. Conclusion: SWI was sensitive, specific and accurate for the detection of hyperacute MCA occlusion.

• 한국산학기술학회논문지
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• 제15권11호
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• pp.6702-6709
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• 2014

본 연구는 3차원 자화강조영상 획득 시 재구성되는 위상영상의 겹쳐진 위상과 현격한 자화율 차이에 의한 영상의 불균일성을, 낮은 주파수 대역폭을 제한하는 High Pass Filter(HPF)를 적용함으로써 개선하고자 하였다. 연구방법은 2013년 11월부터 2014년 3월까지 3차원 자화강조영상 검사를 받은 환자를 대상으로 high pass filter의 적용 전후 영상 간 차이를 확인하기 위하여 기존의 위상영상과 HPF를 적용한 새로운 위상영상의 최대, 최소 신호강도 차이 및 불균일도를 비교 분석하였다. 연구결과, HPF 적용 전후에 따른 최대, 최소 신호강도의 차이는 274.16%(498.98), 불균일도는 439.55%(19.83) 감소하였다. 이는 HPF를 적용하여 낮은 주파수를 차단한 새로운 위상영상이 기존의 위상영상에 비해 겹쳐진 위상신호를 효과적으로 제거하여 영상의 균일도가 높아졌음을 의미한다. 결론적으로 3차원 자화강조영상 획득 시 재구성되는 위상영상에 HPF를 적용하면 겹쳐진 위상과 현격한 자화율 차이에 의한 영상의 불균일성을 효과적으로 개선할 수 있어 영상의 질을 크게 개선할 수 있다.

• 한국자기공명학회논문지
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• 제9권2호
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• pp.93-102
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• 2005

Purpose: To develop an advanced non-linear curve fitting (NLCF) algorithm for dynamic susceptibility contrast study of brain. Materials and Methods: The first pass effects give rise to spuriously high estimates of $K^{trans}$ in voxels with large vascular components. An explicit threshold value has been used to reject voxels. Results: By using this non-linear curve fitting algorithm, the blood perfusion and the volume estimation were accurately evaluated in T2*-weighted dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE)-MR images. From the recalculated each parameters, perfusion weighted image were outlined by using modified non-linear curve fitting algorithm. This results were improved estimation of T2*-weighted dynamic series. Conclusion: The present study demonstrated an improvement of an estimation of kinetic parameters from dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) T2*-weighted magnetic resonance imaging data, using contrast agents. The advanced kinetic models include the relation of volume transfer constant $K^{trans}\;(min^{-1})$ and the volume of extravascular extracellular space (EES) per unit volume of tissue $\nu_e$.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• 제25권3호
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• pp.267-276
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• 2024

Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic performance of susceptibility map-weighted imaging (SMwI) taken in different acquisition planes for discriminating patients with neurodegenerative parkinsonism from those without. Materials and Methods: This retrospective, observational, single-institution study enrolled consecutive patients who visited movement disorder clinics and underwent brain MRI and ¹⁸F-FP-CIT PET between September 2021 and December 2021. SMwI images were acquired in both the oblique (perpendicular to the midbrain) and the anterior commissure-posterior commissure (AC-PC) planes. Hyperintensity in the substantia nigra was determined by two neuroradiologists. ¹⁸F-FP-CIT PET was used as the reference standard. Inter-rater agreement was assessed using Cohen;s kappa coefficient. The diagnostic performance of SMwI in the two planes was analyzed separately for the right and left substantia nigra. Multivariable logistic regression analysis with generalized estimating equations was applied to compare the diagnostic performance of the two planes. Results: In total, 194 patients were included, of whom 105 and 103 had positive results on ¹⁸F-FP-CIT PET in the left and right substantia nigra, respectively. Good inter-rater agreement in the oblique (κ = 0.772/0.658 for left/right) and AC-PC planes (0.730/0.741 for left/right) was confirmed. The pooled sensitivities for two readers were 86.4% (178/206, left) and 83.3% (175/210, right) in the oblique plane and 87.4% (180/206, left) and 87.6% (184/210, right) in the AC-PC plane. The pooled specificities for two readers were 83.5% (152/182, left) and 82.0% (146/178, right) in the oblique plane, and 83.5% (152/182, left) and 86.0% (153/178, right) in the AC-PC plane. There were no significant differences in the diagnostic performance between the two planes (P > 0.05). Conclusion: There are no significant difference in the diagnostic performance of SMwI performed in the oblique and AC-PC plane in discriminating patients with parkinsonism from those without. This finding affirms that each institution may choose the imaging plane for SMwI according to their clinical settings.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• 제4권2호
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• pp.113-119
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• 2000

목적 : 산소호흡을 이용한 뇌의 관류 자기공명영상의 임상적용 가능성을 알고자 하였다. 대상 및 방법 정상 성인 지원자 2명과 3명의 환자, 각각 모야모야병 환자 1명, 뇌경색환자 1명, 뇌수막종 환자 1명을 대상으로 하였으며, 1.5 Tesla의 자기공명영상 장치를 이용하여 뇌의 자화율 대조 (susceptibility contrast) echo planar image (EPI) 방법으로 뇌영역을 10 slice씩 25회(검사시간은 검사당 1.6초) 영상을 얻었다. 검사자는 안면마스크를 착용한 상태로 스캔 시작 8초 후부터 35초가지 산소 15 liter/min를 실내 공기와 혼합되어 흡입되도록 하였다. 획득된 영상을 Magnetom Vision (Siemens Medical Systems, Erlangen, Germany)의 VB31C 프로그램을 이용하여 산소투여전(3골 번째 검사)과, 산소투여 후의 초기 (12-18 번째 검사)와 후기(19-25 번째 검사) 군으로 나누었다. 초기 및 후기 군과 산소투여전 군의 신호차이는 Z-score 0.7 내지 1.0으로 하여 여러번 영상후 처리를 반복하여 difference map을 얻어서, T1 강조영상에 중첩시켜 관류 영상을 얻었다. 모야모야병 환자는 추가로 Gd-DTPA를 0.1 mmol/kg급속주사 후 동일한 방법으로 관류 영상을 얻어 산소호흡에 의한 관류 영상과 비교하였다. 결과 : 산소 공급 후에 시행한 자화율 대조 EPI 방법으로 2명의 지원자와 각각 1예의 모야모야병, 뇌경색, 뇌수막종 증례에서 혈류 분포를 반영하는 관류 영상을 얻을 수 있었다. 모야모야병 1예의 산소 호흡에 의한 관류 영상은 Gd-DTPA투여후의 관류 영상과 유사한 양상을 보였다. 결론 : 산소호흡을 이용한 자화율 대조 EPI 방법은 향후 뇌의 관류 자기공명영상 방법으로 적용이 가능하리라고 생각된다.

• 방사선산업학회지
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• 제17권4호
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• pp.397-403
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• 2023

The purpose of this study is to obtain brain MRI images through Heavenly T₂ FLAIR and DWI techniques to find out strengths and weaknesses of each image. Data were analyzed on 13 normal people and 17 brain tumor patients. Philips Ingenia 3.0TCX was used as the equipment used for the inspection, and 32 Channel Head Coil was used to acquire data. Using Image J and Infinity PACS Data, 3mm² of gray matter, white matter, cerebellum, basal ganglia, and tumor areas were set and measured. Quantitative analysis measured SNR and CNR as an analysis method, and qualitative analysis evaluated overall image quality, lesion conspicuity, image distortion, susceptibility artifact and ghost artifact on a 5-point scale. The statistical significance of data analysis was that Wilcox-on Signed Rank Test and Paired t-test were executed, and the statistical program used was SPSS ver.22.0 and the p value was less than 0.05. In quantitative analysis, the SNR of gray matter, white matter, cerebellum, basal ganglia, and tumor of Heavily T₂ FLAIR is 41.45±0.13, 40.52±0.45, 41.44±0.51, 40.96±0.09, 35.28±0.46 and the CNR is 15.24±0.13, 16.75±0.23, 16.28±0.41, 15.83±0.17, 16.63±0.51. In DWI, SNR is 32.58±0.22, 36.75±0.17, 30.21±0.19, 35.83±0.11, 43.29±0.08, and CNR is 13.14±0.63, 14.21±0.31, 12.95±0.32, 11.73±0.09, 17.56±0.52. In normal tissues, Heavenly T₂ FLAIR obtained high results, but in disease evaluation, high results were obtained at DWI, b=1000 (p<0.05). In addition, in the qualitative analysis, overall image quality, lesion conspicuity, image distortion, susceptibility artifact and ghost artifact aspects of the Heavily T₂ FLAIR were evaluated, and 3.75±0.28, 2.29±0.24, 3.86±0.23, 4.08±0.21, 3.79±0.22 values were found, respectively, and 2.53±0.39, 4.13±0.29, 1.90±0.20, 1.81±0.21, 1.52±0.45 in DWI. As a result of qualitative analysis, overall image quality, image distortion, susceptibility artifact and ghost artifact were rated higher than DWI. However, DWI was evaluated higher in lesion conspicuity (p<0.05). In normal tissues, the level of Heavenly T₂ FLAIR was higher, but the DWI technique was higher in the evaluation of the disease (tumor). The two results were necessary techniques depending on the normal site and the location of the disease. In conclusion, statistically significant results were obtained from the two techniques. In quantitative and qualitative analysis, the two techniques had advantages and disadvantages, and in normal and disease evaluation, the two techniques produced useful results. These results are believed to be educational data for clinical basic evaluation and MRI in the future.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• 제6권2호
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• pp.158-165
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• 2002

목적: 체내에 주입된 Gd-DTPA가 뇌의 확산강조 자기공명영상 신호강도 및 현성확산계수에 미치는 영향을 알아보았다. 대상 및 방법 : 성숙한 잡견 5마리에 대하여 동맥내 도관삽입에 의한 좌측 내경동맥 색전방법을 이용하여 초급성 뇌경색 동물모델을 만들었다. 색전 후 1시간째 확산강조영상을 시행하고, Gd-DTPA를 주입한 다음 다시 90분까지 11회의 추가 확산강조영상을 얻었다. 관심영역을 설정하여 측정한 초급성 뇌경색부위와 반대측 정상부위의 확산강조영상 신호강도 및 현성확산계수를 분석하였다. 결과: 뇌경색은 색전 후 1시간에 시행한 확산강조 자기공명영상에서 잡견 5마리 모두에서 발견되었다. 확산강조영상에서 초급성 뇌경색부위의 신호강도는 Gd-DTPA 주입 여부와 관계없이 시간이 경과함에 따라 증가하였으나, 관류가 유지된 정상부위의 신호강 도는 Gd-DTPA 주입 후 2분에 시행한 첫 검사에서 오히려 저하된 후, 시간경과에 따라 다시 증가하였다. 현성확산계수는 초급성 뇌경색부위에서 Gd-DTPA주입여부에 관계없이 시간 이 경과함에 따라 지속적으로 감소되었으나, 관류가 유지된 반대측 정상부위에서는 변화하지 않았다. 결론: 체내에 주입된 Gd-DTPA는 초급성 뇌경색부위 및 정상부위의 현성확산계수에 영향을 미치지 않으나, 정상부위에서는 조영제 주입 직후 초기의 자화율효과에 의해 확산강조영상의 신호 강도를 저하시켰다. 조영제 주입 후 시행한 확산강조영상 신호 강도의 정량적인 측정이 필요한 연구 혹은 임상 증례에 대하여는 현성확산계수를 측정함으로써 Gd-DTPA의 자화율효과에 의한 영향을 배제하여야 할 것이다.

• 대한공간정보학회지
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• 제23권3호
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• pp.85-93
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• 2015

This paper mainly introduces the methods of extracting landslide information using ALOS(Advanced Land Observing Satellite) images and GIS(Geographical Information System) technology. In this study, we classified images using three different methods which are the unsupervised the supervised and the PCA(Principal Components Analysis) for extracting landslide information based on characteristics of ALOS image. From the image classification results, we found out that the quality of classified image extracted with PCA supervised method was superior than the other images extracted with the other methods. But the accuracy of landslide information extracted from this image classification was still very low as the pixels were very similar between the landslide and safety regions. It means that it is really difficult to distinguish those areas with an image classification method alone because the values of pixels between the landslide and other areas were similar, particularly in a region where the landslide and other areas coexist. To solve this problem, we used the LSM(Landslide Susceptibility Map) created with ArcView software through weighted overlay GIS method in the areas. Finally, the developed LSM was applied to the image classification process using the ALOS images. The accuracy of the extracted landslide information was improved after adopting the PCA and LSM methods. Finally, we found that the landslide region in the study area can be calculated and the accuracy can also be improved with the LSM and PCA image classification methods using GIS tools.