Medicolegal and ethical issues in radiologic screening

Future Horizons in MR Imaging

In this article, we defined the major areas of active research in clinical MR imaging. Further increases in the number of parallel coils within an imaging array and in advances in parallel imaging pulse sequences and postprocessing will lead to further reductions in imaging time analogous to the impact of multidetector CT on helical CT. The synergism between parallel and high-field imaging will aid the development of high-field imaging. The combined dynamic and hepatic parenchymal enhancement of new contrast agents that have or may soon receive FDA approval will enable improved detection and characterization of liver lesions. The lymphotropic SPIO agents will remain an active area of clinical research to further assess their role in oncologic staging. Molecular imaging contrast research using magnetic particles and MR microscopy will continue to flourish. Screening examinations by MR imaging will re-main an area of research for the short- and intermediate term, with the final outcome dependent more on socioeconomic costs than the underlying capability of achieving high-quality screening studies.

Future directions in body magnetic resonance imaging

Technologic innovations in instrumentation and contrast agents naturally lead to new clinical and research applications in body MRI. Although long-range predictions of innovation are an uncertain process, short-term trends in development are more readily discernable. This review will provide examples of recent developments in magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging, contrast agent development and molecular imaging, instrumentation, post-processing, and screening in an attempt to describe areas of active research.