AuntMinnie.com MRI Insider

Dear MRI Insider,

To borrow a famous line from U.S. history, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) fired off a "shot heard around the world" last week that could have ramifications for MRI contrast agents abroad and the U.S.

The EMA's Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee (PRAC) recommended that four linear gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs) be pulled from the market due to concerns about gadolinium remaining in some patients years after scanning. The agents affected include some of the most widely used contrast products in medical imaging.

Our report has a list of the GBCAs named by the PRAC, as well as reactions from manufacturers and researchers actively involved in the issue of gadolinium retention.

The issue of potential long-term adverse effects from gadolinium is front and center at the Lighthouse Project. The patient-organized group promotes scientific research on the topic and, most importantly, seeks to ensure that those adversely affected by gadolinium are heard and not forgotten. Our Insider Exclusive gives you the first look at the group and how it partners with gadolinium researchers.

In a study presented at this year's Society of Interventional Radiology annual meeting, Canadian researchers used MRI to debunk a procedure called venoplasty, which is used to open narrow veins from the brain and spinal cord to treat multiple sclerosis.

From ECR 2017 comes two noteworthy MRI studies. German researchers touted MRI and spectroscopy to accurately measure fat volumes in bariatric patients before and after surgery, while a Dutch group showed how detailed brain maps from voxel-based morphometry of brain MR images can yield new insights into human cognition, including evidence that the hippocampus has an important role in executive function.

So, what does it take to get a woman to have contrast-enhanced breast MRI to check for cancer? Send her an invitation. Researchers in Colorado did that and increased screening rates significantly.

Make a visit to the MRI Community at AuntMinnie.com part of your daily routine for the latest news and groundbreaking research from around the world.