Dear AuntMinnie Member,
A pair of new studies is demonstrating the increasing utility and sophistication of MR angiography exams. One shows MRA pushing into new anatomical territory, while the other demonstrates the effectiveness of a computer-aided detection (CAD) program in brain MRA.
In the first study, German researchers investigated the effectiveness of MRA for assessing stenoses in the infrainguinal arteries, according to an article by staff writer Shalmali Pal in our MRI Digital Community. The technique previously was used in animal studies, and the researchers showed that it is also viable in humans.
They found that MRA of the infrainguinal arteries produced good images with high sensitivity and specificity. They also found that the technique enabled radiologists to use diluted contrast media, which reduced the likelihood of potential contrast-related side effects.
In the second study, Japanese researchers investigated the use of a CAD program for helping radiologists deal with the large volume of data produced by MRA studies of intracranial aneurysms.
CAD was able to increase the diagnostic accuracy of general radiologists to slightly ahead of the performance of neuroradiologists who weren't using CAD. Neuroradiologists also saw performance gains when using CAD, the study authors said.
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