Jorge A Soto - Böcker

This issue of MRI Clinics of North America focuses on MR in the Emergency Room. Articles will include: MR Imaging of Stroke; MR Imaging of Acute Head and Neck Infections; Use of MR in the Evaluation of Cranial Trauma; MR of Spinal Emergencies; Emergency MR Imaging of Musculoskeletal Trauma; Use of MR in Non-traumatic Musculoskeletal Emergencies; MR Imaging of Abdominal Pain in Pregnancy; MR of Pelvic and Gastrointestinal Emergencies; Use of MR in Pediatric Emergencies; Use of MR in Pancreatico-Biliary Emergencies; and more!

The practice of Emergency Radiology has undergone rapid change in the last decade: as imaging procedures are increasingly performed within short periods of time after the arrival of patients to the emergency room, the expectation for near real-time interpretations (often by subspecialists) has gained popularity. Larger emergency centers provide 24 hour on-site coverage by well trained radiologists, while others rely on the services of equally well trained radiologists located off-site, taking advantage of modern universal interconnectivity. Either way, radiologists' input is increasingly affecting the immediate outcome of patients presenting with acute symptoms.� Radiologists have embraced the challenge to protect patient safety by seeking evidence-based data to support the proper utilization of CT (including the use of alternative imaging modalities) and radiologists and CT manufacturers together have worked intensely to find optimal methods to deliver the inevitable radiation.

Recent advances in MR technology permit the application of diffusion MRI outside of the brain. In this book, the authors present cases drawn from daily clinical practice to illustrate the role of diffusion sequences, along with other morphological and functional MRI information, in the work-up of a variety of frequently encountered oncological and non-oncological diseases. Breast, musculoskeletal, whole-body, and other applications are covered in detail, with careful explanation of the pros and cons of diffusion MRI in each circumstance. Quantification and post-processing are discussed, and advice is provided on how to acquire state of the art images, and avoid artifacts, when using 1.5- and 3-T magnets. Applications likely to emerge in the near future, such as for screening, are also reviewed. The practical approach adopted by the authors, combined with the wealth of high-quality illustrations, ensure that this book will be of great value to practitioners.