Advances in musculoskeletal MRI: technical considerations.

The technology of musculoskeletal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is advancing at a dramatic rate. MRI is now done at medium and higher field strengths with more specialized surface coils and with more variable pulse sequences and postprocessing techniques than ever before. These innumerable technical advances are advantageous as they lead to an increased signal-to-noise ratio and increased variety of soft-tissue contrast options. However, at the same time they potentially produce more imaging artifacts when compared with past techniques. Substantial technical advances have considerable clinical challenges in musculoskeletal radiology such as postoperative patient imaging, cartilage mapping, and molecular imaging. In this review we consider technical advances in hardware and software of musculoskeletal MRI along with their clinical applications.

Breast lesions incidentally detected with CT: what the general radiologist needs to know.

Although breast abnormalities are frequently overlooked at multidetector computed tomography (CT) or inaccurately assessed, multidetector CT can reveal sufficient detail in many cases to allow confident diagnosis. It is important for general radiologists to characterize breast lesions incidentally found at CT as benign, indeterminate, or sufficiently suspicious to warrant further work-up. Irregular margins, irregular shape, and rim enhancement are the features most predictive of malignancy. Postoperative changes in the breast may mimic a malignancy; therefore, it is important to obtain an accurate history as to the timing of biopsy or surgery and to follow the changes in lesion morphology over time. Any mass with benign features at CT requires additional validation of benignity with demonstration of long-term stability or additional diagnostic mammographic work-up with or without sonographic evaluation. Accurate description and classification of breast lesions detected with CT enhance the value of the radiologist's report and contribute to appropriate case management.