Research published in the past year has highlighted the modality's range -- from assessing sleep apnea and prostate cancer risk and predicting pain improvement in people with knee osteoarthritis to detecting brain metastases in women with breast cancer -- so it's no wonder MRI's versatility will be on display at this year's RSNA meeting.

Presenters from around the world will share results from a range of studies that attest to MRI's benefits. Look for research that explores whether MRI could be an effective alternative to CT for finding pulmonary nodules (spoiler alert: Yes); how combining the modality with contrast-enhanced CT detects liver metastases in colorectal cancer patients; and how best to image cerebrospinal fluid leaks.

Let's face it: We're now living in an artificial intelligence (AI)-infused world. Meeting attendees can expect to hear about how AI can boost MRI's performance -- from improving radiologists' diagnostic accuracy for identifying prostate cancer and reducing unnecessary biopsies to enhancing the image quality of liver studies and accelerating MRI acquisition times.

Be prepared for dynamic discussion about what the combination of MRI and ultrasound can accomplish, particularly for both diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer. And researchers will attest as well to the modality's efficacy for women's imaging applications, highlighting its ability to assess adenopathy in women vaccinated for COVID-19, its capacity to predict breast cancer treatment response, and the viability of using abbreviated protocols for breast cancer screening.

Finally, look for sessions that will address overall MRI safety as well as the safe use of the modality in patients with implanted cardiac devices. Presenters will also describe lower-dose contrast agent alternatives that could mitigate patients' risk of gadolinium buildup. The RSNA will also offer primers on advanced MRI techniques (perfusion, spectroscopy, and diffusion tensor imaging, or DTI), contrast "use and abuse" in pediatric imaging, and the evaluation of uterine masses, to name a few.

MRI contributes so much to the healthcare enterprise, allowing clinicians to better care for their patients. Read on 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 2022 meeting program.