• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.82 no.6
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• pp.1619-1627
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• 2021

Central venous stenosis is a relatively common complication in hemodialysis patients; however, jugular venous reflux (JVR) and increased intracranial pressure are rare, and associated progressive visual disturbance was reported in only a few cases. Here, we report a case of JVR with visual disturbance and increased intracranial pressure. Notably, the MRI was accompanied by a dilatation of the superior ophthalmic vein, which was mistaken for a cavernous sinus dural arteriovenous fistula (CSdAVF). The patient had JVR on time-of-flight MR angiography (TOF-MRA) and severe stenosis of the left brachiocephalic vein on conventional angiography. After balloon angioplasty for central venous stenosis, he was discharged after improvement of his visual disturbance. Although JVR due to central venous stenosis and CSdAVF might show similar symptoms, treatment plans are different. Therefore, it is important to distinguish radiologically based on a thorough review of MRI and TOF-MRA and confirm the central venous stenosis on cerebral angiography for the accurate diagnosis.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.109-113
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• 2018

Despite the continuous development of software, it is continuously pursued to enlarge the examination area of FOV in order to reduce the factors of inconsistency in images that appear in continuous examination during wide area examination using contrast agent such as whole body angiography. In this study, we investigated the optimal FOV by comparing the SNR values according to the changes of FOV. The change of the FOV was gradually changed to $270{\times}200$, $300{\times}223$, $330{\times}244$, $360{\times}266$ and $380{\times}281$. SE images at TR 450 msec and TE 10 msec, FSE images at TR 2,000 msec, TE 80 msec, and GE images were scanned at TR 117 msec, and TE 16 msec. SNR values were calculated from the mean values of signal intensities of five phantom images and the signal intensity values of four background standard deviations. As a result of the study, the signal intensity and the SNR value according to the change of the FOV value gradually increased as the FOV was increased, but it was found that the SNR value decreased at a constant size. In conclusion, the results are different from previous studies that the SNR increases as the FOV increases. The cause of these results could not be confirmed. However methods that can be imaged and included within the effective FOV should be considered.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.67-75
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• 2012

Purpose : We studied enhanced method to view the vessels in the brain using Magnetic Resonance Angiography (MRA). Noticing that Maximum Intensity Projection (MIP) image is often used to evaluate the arteries of the neck and brain, we propose a new method for view brain vessels to stereo image in 3D space with more superior and more correct compared with conventional method. Materials and Methods: We use 3T Siemens Tim Trio MRI scanner with 4 channel head coil and get a 3D MRA brain data by fixing volunteers head and radiating Phase Contrast pulse sequence. MRA brain data is 3D rotated according to the view angle of each eyes. Optimal view angle (projection angle) is determined by the distance between eye and center of the data. Newly acquired MRA data are projected along with the projection line and display only the highest values. Each left and right view MIP image is integrated through anaglyph imaging method and optimal stereoscopic MIP image is acquired. Results: Result image shows that proposed method let enable to view MIP image at any direction of MRA data that is impossible to the conventional method. Moreover, considering disparity and distance from viewer to center of MRA data at spherical coordinates, we can get more realistic stereo image. In conclusion, we can get optimal stereoscopic images according to the position that viewers want to see and distance between viewer and MRA data. Conclusion: Proposed method overcome problems of conventional method that shows only specific projected image (z-axis projection) and give optimal depth information by converting mono MIP image to stereoscopic image considering viewers position. And can display any view of MRA data at spherical coordinates. If the optimization algorithm and parallel processing is applied, it may give useful medical information for diagnosis and treatment planning in real-time.

• Proceedings of the KSMRM Conference
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• 2002.11a
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• pp.89-89
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• 2002

Purpose： To report initial experience and evaluate feasibility of cervical carotid artery contrast-enhanced MR angiography (CEMRA) using whole body coil at 3.0T Method： Twenty-eight patients (14 male, ages 41-80, mean age 63) underwent CEMRA at the 3.0T using whole body coil and 3D-FSPGR (TR/TE 6.6/l.3 msec, FA 30, thickness 1.3mm), and thirty patients (17 male, ages 30-80, mean age 57) underwent CEMRA at the 1.5T using Helmholtz neck coil and 3D FLASH sequence (TR/TE 3.8/l.4msec, FA 35, thickness 1mm). At both 1.5 and 3.0T, a power injector (Spectris) injected 20m1 of gadolinium to the right or left antecubital vein at a rate of 3mL/s. All CEMRA cases were accepted by one neuroradiologiest. We measured the signal intensities at the bifurcation of common carotid artery (CCA), vertebral artery (V2) and two surrounding tissues (ST) and noise at the background in all patients, and also compared contras-to-noise ratios (CNR) of CCA/ST and V2/ST at 3.0 and 1.5T

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.201-208
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• 2018

The purpose of this study was to investigate the optimal flip angle by measuring the SNR and CNR according to the angle of changes of the MRI technique using the Image J program. A total of 30 normal volunteers were assessed by using a 1.5T magnetic resonance imaging system (Philips, Medical System, Achieva). For the MRI angiography, we set the region of interest in four regions and evaluated the SNR and CNR. The statistical significance of SNR and CNR was calculated by one-way ANOVA using quantitative analysis at five different positions. The Bonferroni method was used for post-hoc analyzes. Statistical significance was determined by using ANOVA analysis at p<0.05 and Bonferroni method was used as a post-hoc analysis. The results of this study, the measurement values of ACA(SNR:$876.59{\pm}14.22$, CNR:$1999.7{\pm}12.5$), PCA(SNR:$863.48{\pm}13.29$, CNR:$1870.18{\pm}12.56$), ICA(SNR:$1116.87{\pm}08.34$, CNR:$2979.37{\pm}14.69$) and MCA(SNR:$848.66{\pm}15.25$, CNR:$2199.25{\pm}13.48$) were obtained with the high signal intensity at $25^{\circ}$(p<0.05). The values of a1, a2, a3, p1, p2, p3, m1, m2 and m3 were also the same (p<0.05). Post-hoc analysis results, There was a statistically significant difference (p=0.000) between $10^{\circ}$, $15^{\circ}$, $20^{\circ}$ on the $25^{\circ}$ reference for the flip angle, but no significant results were obtained with $30^{\circ}$(p<0.05). In concision, because the signal intensity decreased at $30^{\circ}$, this study revealed that the optimal flip angles were $25^{\circ}$ in cerebrovascular MR angiography.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.389-394
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• 2001

Cerebral dural sinus thrombosis(CDST) has been described as a rare disease with a variety of patho-etiological factors. The diagnosis of CDST is difficult due to various symptoms and signs, none of which is specific to CDST. But timely diagosis is critical for effective management. The introduction and widespread use of computed tomography(CT), magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) and cerebral angiography made early diagnosis of CDST possible. In particular, MR venography is the most useful tool for establishing a correct diagnosis quickly. In early literature, mortality ranked between 30% and 50% but in more recent series it is between 5.5% and 30%. With the advent of diagnostic and therapeutic tools, early diagnosis and proper management has made the prognosis better. The appropriate therapy for CDST, however, has been the subject of much cortroversy. Individual variations of the venous system and collateral vessels are key factors to decide the proper treatment. In this report, we present two cases with symptomatic CDST treated without open surgical or direct endovascular interventions with good outcome.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 1998

In order to provide complementary image data, CT(computed tomography), MR(magnetic resonance) and angiography have been used in the field of Stereotactic Radiosurgery(SRS) and neurosurgery. The aim of this work is to develop 3-D stereotactic localization system in order to determine the precise shape, size and location of the lesion in the brain in the field of Stereotactic Radiosurgery(SRS) and neurosurgery using multi-image modality and multi purpose QA phantom. In order to obtain accurate position of a target, Hitchcoke stereotactic frame and CT/angiography localizers were rigidly attached to the phantom with nine targets dispersed in 3-D space. The algorithms to obtain a 3-D stereotactic coordinates of the target have been developed using the images of the geometrical phantom which were taken by CT/angiography. Positions of targets computed by our algorithms were compared to the absolute position assigned in the phantom. Outlines of targets on each CT image were superimposed each other on angiography images. A spatial mean distance errors were 1.02${\pm}$0.17mm for CT with a 512${\times}$512 matrix and 2mm slice thickness, 0.41${\pm}$0.05mm for angiogra- phy localization. The resulting accuracy in the target localization suggests that the developed system has enough Qualification for Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS).

• Journal of Magnetics
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.185-191
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• 2014

In this study we evaluated that flow rate changes affect the (time of flight) TOF image and contrast-enhanced (CE) in a three-dimensional TOF angiography. We used a 3.0T MR System, a nonpulsatile flow rate model. Saline was used as a fluid injected at a flow rate of 11.4 cm/sec by auto injector. The fluid signal strength, phantom body signal strength and background signal strength were measured at 1, 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25-th cross-section in the experienced images and then they were used to determine signal-to-noise ratio and contrast-to-noise ratio. The inlet, middle and outlet length were measured using coronal images obtained through the maximum intensity projection method. As a result, the length of inner cavity was 2.66 mm with no difference among the inlet, middle and outlet length. We also could know that the magnification rate is 49-55.6% in inlet part, 49-59% in middle part and 49-59% in outlet part, and so the image is generally larger than in the actual measurement. Signal-to-noise ratio and contrast-to-noise ratio were negatively correlated with the fluid velocity and so we could see that signal-to-noise ratio and contrast-to-noise ratio are reduced by faster fluid velocity. Signal-to-noise ratio was 42.2-52.5 in 5-25th section and contrast-to-noise ratio was from 34.0-46.1 also not different, but there was a difference in the 1st section. The smallest 3D TOF MRA measure was $2.51{\pm}0.12mm$ with a flow velocity of 40 cm/s. Consequently, 3D TOF MRA tests show that the faster fluid velocity decreases the signal-to-noise ratio and contrast-to-noise ratio, and basically it can be determined that 3D TOF MRA and 3D CE MRA are displayed larger than in the actual measurement.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.15 no.8
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• pp.5124-5130
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• 2014

Dilution of the contrast agent by analyzing the change in the signal intensity during MR angiography in accordance with the viscosity and osmotic pressure minimizes the side effects, and improves the image quality. The contrast agent molarity changes by the dilution of the contrast agent in the blood, as it is injected, which leads to a change in signal intensity. Based on this principle, a phantom was prepared and experiments were performed. After the phantom experiment, a clinical experiment was conducted using the results of the phantom experiment. From November 2013 to January 2014, a group of patients were classified into diluted contrast agent (30 persons) and undiluted (30 persons), and the signal intensity of the cerebral vessels was compared. The signal intensity of the phantom according to the molarity of the contrast agent increased sharply from 0.0125 mmol, reached a peak at 20 mmol, and achieved equilibrium from 200 mmol. Based on the study results, the signal intensity of the blood vessels in the brain through were compared in a clinical experiment. All the brain vessels in the imaging range with diluting a high content of the gadolinium contrast agent showed high signal intensity. This result supports the phantom experiment and means that using the 500mmol diluted contrast agent is better than using 1000mmol undiluted contrast agent because it is easier to approach the 20mmol level needed to achieve the highest signal intensity. This study has significance in that it can minimize the high viscosity and osmotic pressure, which can cause side effects and improve the image quality using the method of the dilution rate.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.177-187
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• 2012

Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) techniques are widely used in diagnosis of vascular disorders such as hemadostenosis and aneurism. Especially, phase contrast (PC) MRA technique, which is a typical non contrast-enhanced MRA technique, provides not only the anatomy of blood vessels but also flow velocity. In this study, we developed the 2- and 3-dimensional PC MRA pulse sequences for a low magnetic field MRI system. Vessel images were acquired using 2D and 3D PC MRA and the velocities of the blood flow were measured in the superior sagittal sinus, straight sinus and the confluence of the two. The 2D PC MRA provided the good quality of vascular images for large vessels but the poor quality for small ones. Although 3D PC MRA gave more improved visualization of small vessels than 2D PC MRA, the image quality was not enough to be used for diagnosis of the small vessels due to the low SNR and field homogeneity of the low field MRI system. The measured blood velocities were $25.46{\pm}0.73cm/sec$, $24.02{\pm}0.34cm/sec$ and $26.15{\pm}1.50cm/sec$ in the superior sagittal sinus, straight sinus and the confluence of the two, respectively, which showed good agreement with the previous experimental values. Thus, the developed PC MRA technique for low field MRI system is expected to provide the useful velocity information to diagnose the large brain vessels.