• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.135-141
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• 1997

Purpose: To assess the usefulness of breath-hold fast MR imaging of liver with fat suppression (FS) by application of chemical saturation technique in the diagnosis of regional fatty changes suspected in sonography. Materials and Methods: Thirteen patients who had focal lesions with diffuse, homogeneous signal changes after FS through chemical saturation technique without additional changes of imaging parameter during MR imaging of liver were selected. T1-weighted fast low-angle shot and T2-weighted turbo spin-echo sequences were obtained with or without FS during each single breath-holding session. Subjective changes of signal intensity between the pre-FS and the FS images were compared with the sonographic findings in each lesion. Results: Seven lesions of decreased signal intensity after FS on T1 or T2-weighted images, including three lesions only at FS T1 images, were regarded as focal fat infiltration. All seven lesions had compatible sonographic findings as homogenously echogenic areas. Another six lesions of subjectively increased signal intensity including two lesions only at FS T2 images were regarded as focal fat sparing. All six lesions had sonographic findings as homogenous echo poor areas suggesting focal fat sparing. In cases regarded as fat infiltration, score changes were more prominent at FS T1 images than FS T2 images(p=0.0002). In cases regarded as fat sparing, score changes were more prominent at FS T2 images than FS T1 images(p=0.042). Conclusion: Breath-hold fast T1 and T2-weighted MR imaging with and without chemical saturation pre-pulse may be sufficient for characterization of regional fatty changes in the differential diagnosis of focal hepatic lesion found at sonography.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.85 no.3
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• pp.607-617
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• 2024

Purpose Recent studies have demonstrated the usefulness of diffusion-weighted MR neurography (DW MRN) for assessing nerve roots. This study aimed to evaluate the utility of DW MRN with a unidirectional motion-probing gradient (MPG) for the lumbar nerve roots at 1.5T MR. Materials and Methods Sixty-four lumbar spine MRI scans with DW MRN using anteroposterior unidirectional MPG were retrospectively analyzed. Any changes in the 512 lumbar spinal nerve roots from L3 to S1 were evaluated using T2-weighted imaging (T2WI), contrast-enhanced T1-weighted imaging (CE T1WI), and DW MRN, with agreement and correlation analysis. Results T2WI revealed compression of 78 nerve roots, and CE T1WI revealed 52 instances of nerve root enhancement. Sixty-seven nerve roots showed swelling and hyperintensity on DW MRN. A total of 42 nerve roots showed changes in the CE T1WI and DW MRN sequences. Moderate to substantial agreement and moderate positive correlation were observed between DW MRN and CE T1WI, as well as DW MRN and T2WI (κ = 0.59-0.65, ρ = 0.600-0.653). Conclusion DW MRN with unidirectional anteroposterior MPG can help evaluate neuritisrelated changes in spinal nerve roots and could serve as a sequence capable of complementing or substituting gadolinium CE imaging.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.18-23
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• 2001

Purpose : To describe the MRI findings in the bronchial anthracofibrosis mimicking lung cancer on CT examination. Materials and methods : Ten patients, who showed CT findings mimicking lung cancer, were selected among fifty patients of bronchial anthracofibrosis proven by bronchoscopic biopsy, consisting of two men and eight women, ranging in age from 58 to 79 years old faverage age, 68 years old). CT scan and MRI were performed in all patients (n=10). Percutaneous lung biopsy on mass was performed in one patient. MRI findings were analyzed with the emphasis on the signal intensity of the mass (n=4), collapsed lung (n=4) and Iymph node (n=10) on axial T1 and T2-weighted images by two radiologists in consensus. No contrast enhancement was used in all cases. Results : CT scan revealed mass (n=4), atelectasis with obstructive pneumonia(n=4) and bronchial wall thickening(n=2). All patients showed enlarged medistinal Iymph nodes(n=10). The mass showed low signal intensity on T1WI and T2WI (n =4). The collapsed lung in patients with atelectasis indicated intermediate signal intensity on T1WI and low signal intensity on T2WI (n= 4). Nine patients showed low sisnal intensity of Iymph node on T1WI and T2WI, except one patient who showed central high signal intensity with peripheral rim of low signal intensity in right lower paratracheal llmph node on T2WI. Conclusion : Low signal intensity of a mass, collapsed lung, and lymph nodes on T2WI in anthracofibrosis patients may be helpful in differentiation of the lesion from lung cancer.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.9-14
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• 2009

T1-, and T2-weighted imagings and FLAIR (fluid attenuated inversion recovery) imaging are fundamental imaging methods in the brain. T1-weighted imaging is a spin-echo sequence with short TR and short TE and produces the tissue contrast by different T1 relaxation times. In other words, short TR maximizes the difference of the longituidinal magnetization recovery between the tissues. T2-weighted imaging is a spin-echo sequence with long TR and long TE and produces the tissue contrast by different T2 relaxation times. Long TE maximizes the difference of the transverse magnetization decay between the tissues. FLAIR is an inversion recovery sequence using 180 degree inversion pulse. 2500 msec of inversion time is applied to suppress the CSF signal.

• Proceedings of the KSMRM Conference
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• 2002.11a
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• pp.102-102
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• 2002

목적：$\Delta{R}_1$과 $\Delta{R}_2\;^{*}$은 $T_1$, $T_2\;^{*}$로부터 직접 구해야 하지만, 시간 해상도 때문에 각각 $T_1$, $T_2\;^{*}$ 강조영상으로부터 구하는 것이 일반적이다. $T_1$, $T_2\;^{*}$ 강조영상으로부터 얻은 $\Delta{R}_1$과 $\Delta{R}_2\;^{*}$ 과 이중 경사 자장에코 펄스열로부터 얻은 $\Delta{R}_1$과 $\Delta{R}_2\;^{*}$ 를 컴퓨터 가상 실험을 통해서 비교한다. 강조 영상의 신호 세기만으로는 정확한 관류 정보를 얻을 수 없음을 보이고자 한다. 대상 및 방법： 알려진 $\Delta{R}_1$과 $\Delta{R}_2\;^{*}$ 값을 이용하여 강조영상으로부터 구할 수 있는 $\DeltaR_1$과 $\Delta{R}_2\;^{*}$ 을 농도에 따라서 가상실험으로 구하고, 이 값과 이중 경사 자장 에코 펄스열로부터 구할 수 있는 $\Delta{R}_1$과 $\Delta{R}_2\;^{*}$를 가상실험으로 구해서 비교한다.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.151-156
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• 2014

Purpose : Spin-echo (SE) technique is most commonly used pulse sequence for T1-weighted MR imaging. T1-weighted fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (T1FLAIR) is a relatively new pulse sequence and it provides higher tissue contrast between the gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) of the brain than T1-weighted SE (T1SE) sequence. However, there has been controversy for the evaluation of enhancing brain tumors with T1FLAIR compared to T1SE. The purpose of this study was to compare T1FLAIR and T1SE sequences for the evaluation of enhancing intracranial tumors. Materials and Methods: Fifty-two patients with enhancing brain tumors were evaluated with contrast-enhanced (CE) T1SE and T1FLAIR imaging. Eight quantitative criteria were calculated: lesion-to-WM contrast ratio (CR) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), lesion-to-GM CR and CNR, lesion-to-CSF CR and CNR, and WM-to-GM CR and CNR. For qualitative evaluation, two radiologists assessed lesion conspicuity on CE T1SE and T1FLAIR sequences with three-scale: 1, T1SE superior; 2, sequence equal; T1FLAIR superior. Results: Seventy-nine tumors (31 primaries, 48 metastases) were assessed. For quantitative measurement, the T1FLAIR lesion-to-GM, lesion-to-CSF, WM-to-GM CR and CNR values were comparable and statistically superior to those of the T1SE images (p < 0.001 in all). However, lesion-to-WM CR and CNR were similar on both two sequences without statistically significant difference (p = 0.661, 0.662, respectively). For qualitative evaluation, both radiologists assessed that T1FLAIR images were superior to T1SE images for the evaluation of lesion conspicuity. Conclusion: For the evaluation of enhancing intracranial tumors, T1FLAIR sequence was superior or comparable to T1SE sequence.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.348-353
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• 2010

The purpose of this study was to explore the potentials of a clinical 3T MRI in mouse brains and technical adaptation and optimization. T1-weighted images (T1WI), T2-weighted images (T2WI), FLAIR (Fluid Attenuated Inversion Recovery) images, Gadolinium enhanced T1-weighted images (Gd-T1WI), Diffusion weighted images (DWI) were acquired in brain of 2 mice (weight 20~25 g) with cerebral infarction by occlusion of right middle cerebral artery, 1 hour, 24 hours, 72 hours after infarction and 1 normal mouse brain using clinical 3T MRI scanner. We analyzed differentiation of striatum, ventricle, cerebral cortex, and possibility of detection of acute cerebral infarction. We could differentiate the striatum, ventricle, cerebral cortex on T2WI and on DWI, FLAIR, T1WI, the differentiation of each anatomy of brain was not definite, but acute cerebral infarction was detected on DWI of 1 hour, 24 hours, 72 hours after infarction and on T2WI, FLAIR of 24 hours, 72 hours after infarction. Clinical 3T MRI can be used in differentiation of anatomy of mouse brains and DWI can be helpul in detection of acute cerebral infarction in acute phase. With technical adaptation and optimization clinical 3T MRI can be useful tool for provide preclinical and clinical small animal studies.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.10 no.9
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• pp.302-308
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• 2010

In MRI, the Ferromagnetic artifact is generated by the metalization within in which the before inspection removal is impossible and the distortion of an image is brought. The distortion measure according to the steel for each sequence of T1 image and magnetic field intensity are analyzed and minimized method is looked into. We used SIEMENS 1.5T and 3.0T MRI for experiment equipment. First, it places within the Phantom making a metalization(Ti+Al, Stainless, Nitinol) on 1.5T, 3.0T MRI and the T1 weighted image for each Sequence is acquired. The distortion of an image and about adjacent portion change of the metal material were compared through the obtained image, we analyzed. In all metalizations, a distortion was generated and a distortion was few in particularly, and Titanium-Aluminium alloy. And the extent of a distortion was worse image in the Turbo spin Echo. The use of the Titanium-Aluminium alloy the inserted in an internal material of the metalization is recommend. and, equipment of 1.5T the patient inserting a metal in an internal is used in an inspection than equipment of 3.0T. Also, the sequence is suitable when it obtains the optimum T1 weighted image of an impersonate to use the Turbo spin Echo.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.461-466
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• 2018

In this study, we investigated the signal intensity changes by activating all and partially selected coil elements as a way to increase the SNR in a single region MR imaging. Two cylindrical fluid phantoms were placed side by side in a phase array coil and MRI scans were repeated by turning on the entire elements and selected elements. As a result, on both of the T1 and T2 weighted images signal intensities were significantly increased by 5.49% and 14.64%, respectively. In conclusion, if only a single region was to be imaged, selecting appropriate elements and collecting signals only from them could easily improve image qualities and signal intensities.

• Journal of KIISE:Computing Practices and Letters
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• v.15 no.9
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• pp.700-704
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• 2009

In this paper, we propose a method for combining MR image with histopathology image of the prostate using image correction and multi-stage registration. Our method consists of four steps. First, the intensity of prostate bleeding area on T2-weighted MR image is substituted for that on T1-weighted MR image. And two or four tissue sections of the prostate in histopathology image are combined to produce a single prostate image by manual stitching. Second, rigid registration is performed to find the affine transformations that to optimize mutual information between MR and histopathology images. Third, the result of affine registration is deformed by the TPS warping. Finally, aligned images are visualized by the intensity intermixing. Experimental results show that the prostate tumor lesion can be properly located and clearly visualized within MR images for tissue characterization comparison and that the registration error between T2-weighted MR and histopathology image was 0.0815mm.