How to Image Infection ( Box 5.1 ) Musculoskeletal infections affect bones, soft tissues, and joints. Infection is often considered a therapeutic emergency, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a valuable tool for demonstrating the presence or absence of disease…
How to Image Nerves Coils and patient position: High-resolution images of the small peripheral nerves require the use of phased array surface coils. The large sciatic nerve can be evaluated without a surface coil, but better resolution is possible if…
How to Image Tendons Coils and patient position: Whether or not a coil should be used is based entirely on the anatomy to be imaged. Generally, surface coils improve images and should be used. For large areas, such as the…
How to Image Bone Marrow The most useful magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences for evaluating the marrow are T1-weighted (T1W) and fat-suppressed T2-weighted (T2W) (either short tau inversion recovery [STIR] or fast spin echo [FSE] T2 with fat suppression) sequences.…
Although a detailed understanding of nuclear physics is not necessary to interpret magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies, it also is unacceptable to read passively whatever images you are given without concern for how the images are acquired or how they…
The chest wall is a complex anatomic structure composed of muscles, bones, joints, and soft tissues that make up the area of the body between the neck and the abdomen. Pathologic processes that may involve the chest wall include congenital…
Abnormalities of Diaphragmatic Motion: Diaphragmatic Paralysis, Weakness, and Eventration Etiology, Prevalence, and Epidemiology The diaphragm is the primary muscle of ventilation, and dysfunction of the diaphragm is an underrecognized cause of dyspnea. Dysfunction of the diaphragm can be classified as…
Mediastinal masses are relatively uncommon and include a wide variety of abnormalities of neoplastic, congenital, vascular, and lymphatic etiology that most radiologists encounter infrequently. Imaging plays a critical role in the identification and evaluation of mediastinal lesions, facilitating the formulation…
Mediastinitis refers to a focal or diffuse inflammation of the tissues located in the mediastinum. The mediastinum lies between the right and left pleural cavities and extends from the thoracic inlet to the diaphragm. Mediastinitis can be classified into acute…
Etiology, Prevalence, and Epidemiology Pneumomediastinum, also known as mediastinal emphysema, refers to the presence of free air or other gas in the mediastinal space. Pathologically, the major sources of entry of air to the mediastinum are (1) through the skin…