RSNA 2021 MRI Preview

Road to RSNA 2021: MRI Preview

By Kate Madden Yee, AuntMinnie.com staff writer
November 24, 2021

MRI technology was launched into the world of imaging 50 years ago. In the decades since, the modality has become a key part of patient care.

At the upcoming RSNA 2021 meeting in Chicago, attendees will have the opportunity to hear from researchers from around the world about the benefits of MRI for diagnosing and staging disease, as well as tracking the effectiveness of treatment.

Artificial intelligence (AI) continues to be a hot topic in healthcare, and a variety of scientific sessions will explore how MRI fits into the world of AI. Look for a refresher course that will highlight the use of deep learning with MRI for image acquisition, reconstruction, and analysis -- from both clinical and technical perspectives -- and how deep-learning techniques could best be applied to applications such as quantitative and low-field MRI.

Cardiac MRI is taking off, and there will be a plethora of presentations about the use of the modality for heart imaging. Topics explored will range from how AI can boost the efficacy of cardiac MRI and imaging suspected heart tumors to identifying myocarditis in young athletes and tracking the long-term effects of COVID-19 disease and the effects of vaccination.

MRI safety is another pressing topic in the field of radiology. Unfortunately, this year saw two tragic, fatal accidents involving MRI, one in Utah and one in South Korea. At RSNA 2021, attendees can expect a thorough discussion of MRI safety, including a review of current efforts to standardize safety protocols; a look at the international consensus statement first published in 2016 that outlines MRI safety duties of medical directors, safety officers, and safety experts; and an update about the activities of the American Board of Magnetic Resonance Safety.

On the women's imaging side, RSNA session presenters will explore the use of abbreviated breast MRI protocols and how AI and MRI work together to image dense breast tissue.

Finally, look for sessions on MRI for emergency room applications, from imaging acute neurological conditions and determining when musculoskeletal MRI may be better than CT to how best to use the modality to evaluate patients' abdominal pain.

These themes represent only the tip of the proverbial iceberg at the meeting; see below for specific scientific abstracts we're highlighting as part of our premeeting coverage. And if you'd like to take a look at the conference's complete catalog of scientific abstracts and educational programs, check out the RSNA 2021 meeting program.

Combining radiomics, AI with PET/MRI helps assess nodal status
Sunday, November 28 | 10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. | SSNMMI01-3 | Room N226
Researchers will discuss in this Sunday session how applying radiomics and machine learning to FDG-PET/MRI can noninvasively assess nodal status and treatment planning for breast cancer patients.
PET/MRI shows prowess for nodal staging in breast cancer
Sunday, November 28 | 10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. | SSNMMI01-4 | Room N226
In this presentation, researchers will compare nodal staging between CT, MRI, and FDG-PET/MRI in patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer.
Persistent COVID-19 symptoms don't necessarily translate to heart injury
Monday, November 29 | 3:00 p.m.- 4:00 p.m. | SSCA04-1 | Room S402
A team of researchers in Germany has found that patients who have chronic "COVID-19 syndrome" -- a condition that manifests in fatigue and labored breathing -- do not necessarily have myocardial injury and inflammation, according to study results to be presented on Monday afternoon.
Is cardiac MRI necessary for following up young athletes after COVID-19?
Monday, November 29 | 3:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. | SSCA04-4 | Room S402
Is cardiac MRI necessary for assessing the heart health of young athletes after they have recovered from COVID-19? In this Monday afternoon session, researchers will share findings from a study conducted to explore the question.
Cost-effectiveness study highlights MRI's value for prostate cancer biopsy
Tuesday, November 30 | 3:00 p.m.- 4:00 p.m. | SSGU04-1 | Room E353C
In this Tuesday presentation, Dutch researchers will share findings from a study they conducted to explore the most cost-effective MRI biopsy strategy for men with suspected prostate cancer.
Explainable artificial intelligence elevates prostate MRI reads
Wednesday, December 1 | 8:00 a.m.-8:30 a.m. | SSGU05-4 | Room E353B
An explainable deep-learning software application can be highly accurate for characterizing prostate lesions on biparametric MRI exams, according to this scientific presentation.
Deep learning boosts spine MRI performance
Wednesday, December 1 | 8:00 a.m.- 9:00 a.m. | SSNR11-2 | Room E351
Adding deep learning to spine MRI improves image quality, which may translate to better patient experiences and imaging efficacy, according to study results to be shared at the RSNA meeting.
Short MRI comparable to CT for assessing interstitial lung disease
Wednesday, December 1 | 9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. | SSCH06-5 | Room S405
Two ultrashort echo time MRI sequences are comparable to CT when it comes to assessing interstitial lung disease in patients with systemic sclerosis, according to this presentation.
Deep-learning tool triages women with decreased breast density
Wednesday, December 1 | 3:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. | SSBR09-4 | Room S406B
In this Wednesday talk, researchers will present findings from their study of nearly 2,700 women that used a convolutional neural network in predicting mammographic density percentage from MRI scans.
Deep learning meets need for speed in spine MRI
Thursday, December 2 | 9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. | SSNR14-5 | Room E353B
In this session, researchers will show how a deep learning-based image reconstruction method can deliver up to 72% faster spine MRI scan times along with perceived improvements in image quality.
Can AI enable 90% lower gadolinium dose in brain MRI?
Thursday, December 2 | 9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. | SSNR14-2 | Room E353B
An artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm can enable high-quality contrast-enhanced brain MRI exams to be acquired using only 10% of the normal dose of a gadolinium-based contrast agent, according to this multicenter clinical study.
Ultrashort brain MRI cost-effective compared to standard CT
Prerecorded, available throughout the meeting | SPR-NR-38
Brain MRI with an ultrashort echo time protocol is a cost-effective way of classifying mild or unspecific neurologic symptoms compared to standard- or reduced-dose CT, according to research presented in this prerecorded talk.
Short echo pulmonary MRI effective for Lung-RADS classification
Prerecorded, available throughout the meeting | SPR-CH-26
Pulmonary MRI with an ultrashort echo time matches the performance of standard- or reduced-dose CT for Lung-RADS classification on lung cancer screening, Japanese investigators have found.