PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

E M Haacke

Publications and source records attributed to E M Haacke.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Three-dimensional MR imaging of the pulmonary vasculature: preliminary experience.

The design and implementation of a rapid three-dimensional, gradient-echo magnetic resonance (MR) imaging technique that uses short echo and repetition times are described. This technique was used to evaluate patients with pulmonary vascular disease. The technique has demonstrated the potential of acquiring high-resolution pulmonary vascular information with good image quality and little image degradation from moving blood and respiratory motion. Nearly isotropic data collection allows multiplanar and maximum-intensity projection reconstructions to depict local regions in the lungs. In the present study, 15 volunteers and 10 patients were examined. High-quality images were obtained in all 15 volunteers and in six patients. The technique presented demonstrates that MR imaging is capable of generating good to excellent pulmonary vascular images in approximately 10-13 minutes in the thoracic region, showing that this approach may prove useful for a wide variety of applications.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Approaches to diagnostic magnetic resonance carotid angiography.

MR angiography (MRA) by the time-of-flight technique has been very successful in the carotid arteries as a result of relatively rapid flow velocities and the availability of high sensitivity neck coils. Two-dimensional or three-dimensional acquisition through the carotid bifurcation is an effective screening technique whose accuracy is very competitive with Doppler ultrasound and whose anatomic detail rivals that of conventional contrast angiography. As methods are perfected for visualizing the entire carotid from the aortic arch to the circle of Willis, MRA will replace contrast angiography for many diagnostic applications.

Artifacts↗
PubMed1991

The stability of proton T2 effects of oxygen-17 water in experimental cerebral ischemia.

The gerbil model of unilateral cerebral ischemia has been used to test the temporal and spatial stability of the MRI T2 effects of oxygen-17 water. Following unilateral carotid ligation, symptomatic animals were given a single large intraperitoneal injection of H2(17)O and the distribution and stability of the brain T2 effects were followed with a spin-echo sequence. In contrast to the ischemic areas, the perfused tissue shows a marked and prolonged loss in intensity with little evidence of diffusion of the T2 effect of 17O into the ischemic tissue.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Technologic advances in magnetic resonance angiography.

Magnetic resonance angiography continues to develop both in technical capabilities and in clinical applications. Head and neck MR angiography is now in common use and is being compared to digital subtraction angiography (DSA) on a daily basis. New approaches to MR angiography in the abdomen and thorax and peripheral areas are making progress. Even coronary angiography is likely to fall prey to MR angiography and the prowess of those designing new techniques. The role of contrast agents in MR angiography is becoming more evident; contrast agents are likely to play an important role in the future. Furthermore, quantitative flow velocity measurements of major vessels are also possible and are of interest to clinicians for blood flow information. This review covers these and other recent developments in MR angiography, including both technical and clinical developments.

Blood Flow Velocity↗
PubMed1991

Velocity quantification in magnetic resonance imaging.

A variety of methods has been developed for quantitating flow in vivo. These are usually based on the principles of velocity-phase or TOF information. The former allows a point-by-point 2D image of velocity, but also has other manifestations involving real-time 1D projections or 1D projections with 1D velocity information (flow zeugmatography). The TOF methods use the in-flow of unsaturated spins into a saturated region (for example) to estimate flow. The concepts, features, and clinical applications of these and other techniques are reviewed in this article.

Blood Flow Velocity↗
PubMed1990

Optimizing blood vessel contrast in fast three-dimensional MRI.

Magnetic resonance angiography has matured to the point where clinically useful images can be acquired in half an hour or less. In this paper, the role of 3D imaging techniques is primarily considered. Specifically, the optimal imaging parameters, sequences, and reconstruction techniques are evaluated for moving spins. A variant of FISP known as ROAST with low flip angles, short repeat times, and a thick slab has been found to yield the best 3D survey scan of the cranial vessels with roughly 1 X 1 X 1-mm3 resolution in each of the processed images (slices). For the faster flowing carotids, a sagittal scout with as short a TE as possible is required to avoid spin dephasing. Localization is accomplished in both cases by acquiring thin slab 3D, thin partition, larger flip angle, longer repeat time FLASH sequences. Different choices of dephase/rephase sequences and directions are also reviewed. These choices are discussed from a practical and theoretical perspective. In particular, improvements in contrast and resolution are evaluated using half-Fourier, 512 acquisition, small fields of view and constrained reconstruction for both rephased gradient echo sequences and dephased thin slice long TR spin-echo sequences. A resolution of 0.5-0.75 mm is recommended to obtain sufficient image quality for consistent clinical interpretation of stenoses and vessel abnormalities.

Blood Flow Velocity↗
PubMed1990

Carotid-CNS MR flow imaging.

The authors present their 1-year experience with the use of 3DFT, time-of-flight MR angiography for the evaluation of vascular diseases of the head and neck. Their experience with over 150 patients indicates that this examination may be performed in conjunction with standard spin-echo imaging with only a minimal increase in patient examination time. This combined examination is most applicable to atherosclerotic disease of the carotid bifurcation, arterial occlusions of the primary and secondary branches of the intracranial circulation (particularly in pediatric patients such as those following ECMO or with sickle cell anemia), and patients with saccular berry aneurysms. This type of static, angiographic technique adds little to standard spin-echo imaging in patients with arteriovenous fistulae, neoplasms, and giant intracranial aneurysms. Limitations of the present technique include the inability to visualize slow flow lesions (e.g., giant aneurysms) and selected high flow states (arteriovenous fistulae, some severe stenoses).

Algorithms↗
PubMed1990

In vivo biomicroscopy with ultrasound 2.

In the first article of this series it was shown that the use of inverse scattering theory to analyse ultrasound reflections could provide high resolution images of the acoustic impedance profile of the retina. Unlike the retina, most tissue structures of interest, like small tumours and arterial plaque deposits, are shielded from view by intervening layers of tissue of appreciable acoustic impedance and attenuation. By analysing a one-dimensional model for a plaque deposit on the wall of a carotid artery embedded in a 5 cm thick layer of tissue, we demonstrate that a relatively high quality image can be recovered when compensation for the attenuation of the intervening tissue is made. We observe that because of the dearth of low frequency power in the recovered signal of ultrasound transducers, it is important that the field of view imaged is not taken to be too large. We compare the exact iterative distorted wave Born approximation inverse scattering method with the approximate but computationally faster plane wave Born approximation method and find that they give images of comparable quality for this model.

Acoustics↗
PubMed1990

Improved contrast at 1.5 tesla using half-Fourier imaging: application to spin-echo and angiographic imaging.

Half-Fourier imaging is useful for reducing imaging time by requiring less than the usual number of phase-encoding steps. This increase in speed can be traded off for longer repeat times, TR, for improved contrast-to-noise in the same imaging time or to collect short asymmetric echoes. Consequently, it is shown to be especially useful for long TR spin-echo imaging where at 1.5 T a repeat time of 4 sec is recommended for a double-echo TE = 30/90 sequence or 3 sec for a double-echo TE = 15/90 sequence. Short TR FLASH imaging also benefits from a longer TR since there is more time to spoil the signal. In both cases, there is the advantage when a multislice acquisition mode is used that more slices (and hence, a larger volume) can be taken. Another application is to apply half-Fourier imaging in the read direction to avoid spin dephasing and motion artifacts. This is particularly useful in angiographic imaging where smaller pixel sizes and shorter echo times both reduce pixel dephasing. Again, even though taking less than the usual number of data points leads to a reduction in S/N, the improved signal and resolution for blood vessels can more than compensate this loss.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Steady-state free precession imaging in the presence of motion: application for improved visualization of the cerebrospinal fluid.

The authors discuss the appropriate FISP (fast imaging with steady-state precession) sequence structure to maintain constant phase at the radio-frequency pulse in the presence of motion. They present preliminary results of its application to head and spine imaging in an effort to maintain contrast between the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and the soft tissue. In the usual application of these FISP-like sequences, the gradient structure is modified to avoid unwanted signal (and contrast) variations due to field inhomogeneities. This change makes the signal sensitive to motion with a resulting decrease in signal intensity for moving tissue. The expected high contrast at large flip angles for tissues with low T1/T2 ratios such as CSF is not obtained. The technique discussed here overcomes the effects of field inhomogeneities and compensates for moving spins so that the transverse steady-state equilibrium and hence high contrast are obtained simultaneously.

Cerebrospinal Fluid↗
PubMed1990

Intracranial aneurysms: evaluation by MR angiography.

The purpose of this study was to compare the accuracy of a volume gradient-echo MR angiography (MRA) technique with that of intraarterial digital subtraction angiography (IA DSA) in the identification of intracranial aneurysms. The intracranial vasculature was examined in 47 patients by MRA and compared with IA DSA findings in 19 of these patients who had saccular or giant intracranial aneurysms. The remaining 28 patients, in whom no aneurysm was found, served as a control group. MRA was performed with the use of a velocity-compensated gradient-echo sequence (TR = 40-50/TE = 7-15) with a 15 degrees flip angle. The sensitivity and specificity were calculated for the evaluation of the cine 3D reconstructions (cine MRA) only, cine MRA + inspection of the individual partitions, and cine MRA + individual partitions + spin-echo studies. Of 21 aneurysms, of which three were missed in two patients, the sensitivity varied from 67% for cine MRA only to 86% for the cine MRA + partitions + spin-echo studies; of the 19 patients, among whom it was assumed that the diagnosis of any one aneurysm in a patient would lead to angiography and detection of additional aneurysms, the sensitivity varied from 73% for the cine MRA only to 95% for the cine MRA + partitions + spin-echo studies. The results of this study suggest that MRA can define the circle of Willis sufficiently to allow detection of intracranial aneurysms as small as 3-4 mm. MRA holds promise as a truly noninvasive screening examination of intracranial vasculature in patients at risk for aneurysms.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Fast MR imaging: techniques and clinical applications.

Fast MR imaging has matured in the past few years and is now of established value for several aspects of clinical MR imaging. The initial impetus for rapid imaging was to reduce scan times. Today its usefulness includes reducing motion artifacts, improved contrast per unit time, three-dimensional (3-D) imaging, real-time imaging, cine-mode imaging, and flow imaging. The focus of this review is on short-TR steady-state gradient-echo imaging. We discuss the basic sequence design of the mainstream fast techniques. Many important applications exist, including gadopentetate dimeglumine-enhanced MR imaging of the brain and spine, subsecond imaging of real-time applications, myelographic imaging of the spine, cardiac cine-mode imaging; 3-D musculoskeletal (knee) imaging, 3-D pituitary imaging; two-dimensional and 3-D body imaging; 3-D carotid and intravascular imaging, and reformatting 3-D images into arbitrary planes.

Fourier Analysis↗
PubMed1990

Intracranial aneurysms: evaluation by MR angiography.

The purpose of this study was to compare the accuracy of a volume gradient-echo MR angiography (MRA) technique with that of intraarterial digital subtraction angiography (IA DSA) in the identification of intracranial aneurysms. The intracranial vasculature was examined in 47 patients by MRA and compared with IA DSA findings in 19 of these patients who had saccular or giant intracranial aneurysms. The remaining 28 patients, in whom no aneurysm was found, served as a control group. MRA was performed with the use of a velocity-compensated gradient-echo sequence (TR = 40-50/TE = 7-15) with a 15 degree flip angle. The sensitivity and specificity were calculated for the evaluation of the cine 3D reconstructions (cine MRA) only, cine MRA + inspection of the individual partitions, and cine MRA + individual partitions + spin-echo studies. Of 21 aneurysms, of which three were missed in two patients, the sensitivity varied from 67% for cine MRA only to 86% for the cine MRA + partitions + spin-echo studies; of the 19 patients, among whom it was assumed that the diagnosis of any one aneurysm in a patient would lead to angiography and detection of additional aneurysms, the sensitivity varied from 73% for the cine MRA only to 95% for the cine MRA + partitions + spin-echo studies. The results of this study suggest that MRA can define the circle of Willis sufficiently to allow detection of intracranial aneurysms as small as 3-4 mm. MRA holds promise as a truly noninvasive screening examination of intracranial vasculature in patients at risk for aneurysms.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Reduction of T2* dephasing in gradient field-echo imaging.

Fast gradient field-echo imaging is becoming more common in morphologic studies but is not as widespread as might be hoped because of its susceptibility to local field inhomogeneities that lead to spin dephasing (reducing T2 to T2*) and geometric distortion (frequency misregistration). These problems are manifested in both the in-plane and section-select directions. The authors show that reversal of many of these adverse effects is possible through the acquisition of the gradient field echo in a three- and four-dimensional mode for a fixed echo time (TE), since phase-encoding leads to the capture of the echo within the sampling window. This echo centering is shown to be equivalent to the reduction of dephasing across a pixel. Improvements are also obtained by reducing TE to as short a value as possible.

Humans↗
PubMed1989

Intracranial circulation: preliminary clinical results with three-dimensional (volume) MR angiography.

The authors assessed the clinical utility of a magnetic resonance angiography technique in the evaluation of intracranial circulation. Eighteen patients with a low likelihood of cerebrovascular disease (control group) and 40 patients with suspected cerebrovascular disease were imaged with a FISP (fast imaging with steady precession) sequence (repetition time of 50 msec, echo time of 15 msec, velocity compensation in the read and section-select directions with acceleration compensation in the read direction, 15 degrees anisotropic volume, and a 1.25-mm partition thickness). Ninety-four percent of images in the control group and 72% of images in the group with cerebrovascular disease were considered useful for diagnosis. This technique can provide accurate images of intracranial circulation and can be performed in conjunction with two-dimensional spin-echo or gradient-echo imaging. It was most useful in the evaluation of patent intracranial aneurysms, vessel displacement, and large-vessel occlusive disease. Disadvantages included limited field of view, persistent signal voids, limited spatial resolution, and inadequate depiction of lesions with slow flow.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Three-dimensional (volume) gradient-echo imaging of the carotid bifurcation: preliminary clinical experience.

This study was designed to test the accuracy of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging with a FLASH (fast low-angle shot) 40 degrees volume pulse sequence by comparing it with intraarterial digital subtraction angiography (DSA) in patients with suspected carotid artery stenoses. Fifteen patients referred for evaluation of anterior circulation in cerebrovascular disease composed the pilot group. Twelve patients underwent correlative intraarterial DSA examinations. The FLASH volume sequence, with an echo time of 7.7 seconds, produced high-signal-intensity vascular images for 28 of 30 bifurcations. Of the 24 carotid bifurcations studied with DSA, 22 were depicted with MR angiography. Among the depicted bifurcations, 21 showed good correlation with the DSA images. These included four of four normal bifurcations, three of three with mild stenosis, four of four with moderate stenosis, eight of nine with severe stenosis, and two of two with occlusions. With respect to ulceration, three of four MR angiographic studies showed good correlation with DSA images. This preliminary experience indicates that the method is reproducible and capable of delineating carotid lesions in patients and that it can be performed in conjunction with conventional spin-echo imaging of the brain with only a small increase in patient examination time.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Improved sensitivity of proton MR to oxygen-17 as a contrast agent using fast imaging: detection in brain.

The potential utility of H2(17)O as a contrast agent has been demonstrated in biological solutions and isolated tissues but its use has been impaired by the need to run heavily T2-weighted spin-echo images. By choosing an appropriate steady-state free precession experiment sensitive to T1/T2, we have improved the available contrast-to-noise per unit time by more than a factor of 5. This allows easy measurement of the proton effects for concentrations as low as 0.4% H2(17)O in less than 1 min. Injection into small animals produces a marked reduction in the overall image intensity. Consecutive imaging at the rate of one every 52 s has been used to follow the rate of change in brain image intensity immediately after injection.

Animals↗