BMJ
2004;328:1387-1388 (12 June), doi:10.1136/bmj.328.7453.1387
Editorial
Whole body magnetic resonance imaging - A valuable adjunct
to clinical examination
When Lauterbur and Damadian described the application
of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as a clinical imaging
tool in the early 1970s the popular belief was that the
technique would become the ultimate screening tool for
the whole body.1 2 However, similar to other modalities
limited by cost, acquisition times, availability, and
artefact produced by motion, it evolved as a technique
to image stationary body parts. Supported by technical
developments in the past decade, improved excitatory pulse
sequences, and faster methods of localising derived signal,
and by increasing awareness of the hazards of radiation
imposed by traditional techniques, the ability to use
MRI as a rapid imaging tool for the whole body has now
been revisited.3-11 Reduced acquisition times have been
mirrored by a logical reduction in acquisition costs,
and the recent development of the moving MRI table top
has facilitated the clinical introduction of this technique
as a practical diagnostic tool.3
[Free
Full Text]