So far, the new algorithm has shown reliable results even for different types of implants. What is more, acquiring all the information at once instead of one species after the other reduces total scanning time
Eva Maria Fallenberg
Previous methods for MRI examinations are based on suppressing the other materials while imaging the material in question, for example silicone. However, this technique relies on several manual calibration steps, which can be prone to errors. While ruptures of implants can be imaged well with these available methods, slighter changes such as gel bleeding are more difficult to detect.
“The new method is fully automated and does not need any previous calibration and training for the operator. This makes it more robust and reliable than techniques that depend on the suppression of selected materials”, says Dr. Eva Maria Fallenberg, Adjunct Teaching Professor and senior physician at the Institute for diagnostic and interventional radiology at the University hospital Klinikum rechts der Isar. “So far, the new algorithm has shown reliable results even for different types of implants. What is more, acquiring all the information at once instead of one species after the other reduces total scanning time. This improves patient comfort, and allows us to examine more patients.”
After the first promising results, the new imaging process is now being evaluated with a larger cohort of people on clinical MRI scanners commonly used in hospitals. No extra equipment is necessary to adapt the new method. Hence, once the new method has been proven successful in a large patient cohort, an implementation in the large routine clinical setting might be expected. In the longer term, the researchers are also evaluating if the new method provides advantages for assessing non-implant tissue, as it might deliver additional useful information on measuring breast density and depicting breast calcifications.
Source: Technical University of Munich
Source: Healthcare in Europe
