MR STATE-OF-THE-ART

Magnetic resonance imaging is undergoing continual and progressive evo lution. To make a high quality examination, some requirements are mand atory, such as high spatial and contrast resolution to identify lesion s and high temporal resolution to characterize them. We review the mos t important new magnetic resonance technologies, both those which are already available and used in clinical practice and those which are st ill to be developed. We analyze such technologic and methodolgic featu res as magnetic field strength, gradients, surface coils, echoplanar i maging, fat suppression techniques and magnetization transfer, contras t agents, automatic injectors, image postprocessing, computer assisted diagnosis, magnetic resonance-guided biopsy and spectroscopy. All the se factors are in continuous evolution and new technologies anticipate , in the near future, faster examinations with very high spatial and c ontrast resolution, with magnetic resonance-guided cytologic and histo logic aspiration biopsies, as well as spectroscopic studies of previou sly identified lesions. To perform a correct, state-of-the-art magneti c resonance examination of the breast, we need high strength gradients with high slew rate and bilateral coils. Finally, we discuss new tech nologies and methods which will increase the accuracy of magnetic reso nance studies of the breast, improving image quality and decreasing ex ecution time. Thus, magnetic resonance spectroscopy, allowing in vivo biochemical tissue analysis, seems to have high potentials; even thoug h they are still difficult to define, the technique is sure to have ma jor diagnostic impact also in monitoring the results to different trea tments. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.