Interventional MRI-challenge for radiology.

Abstract

Interventional MRI has grown from a modest beginning into a rapidly developing field. Two years after the first “Interventional MRI” special issue this second special issue (divided into two parts) includes the latest research performed in this exciting field. A comparison to the 1998 issue reveals the rapid pace of development, the advances in clinical deployment, and provides a glimpse at what will be achieved in the future. The content of this issue is targeted toward both clinicians and scientists in order to provide information about progress in technical developments and clinical applications. The idea of interventional MRI includes not only image guidance of common therapy modalities but also the development of new minimally invasive applications that cannot be performed otherwise. Additionally, open surgical procedures may benefit to a high extent from MRI-guidance. This may lead to improved patient care and reduced invasiveness of surgery. The major field of current research includes development of instrumentation, visualization techniques and data postprocessing, MR thermometry, thermal ablation techniques, biopsy, integration of functional imaging in MRI-guided interventions, monitoring of drug delivery, MR endoscopy, endovascular therapy, intraoperative MRI, MR-guided brachytherapy and therapy planning. In our vision, the physicians in the interventional MRI suite should have access to all available image information obtained preprocedurally. In order to manage this large amount of information, new interfaces must be developed. Anatomy, function and therapy-induced changes must be displayed in an appropriate manner to achieve full control of the procedures. Moreover, robotic control and execution of procedures must be integrated in the interventional MRI suite of the future. The interaction and cooperation between scientists and physicians during the initial development of this field has been fundamental to the growth of this field, and yet, our vision of the future can only become reality if the interdisciplinary cooperation and partnership between radiologists, surgeons, anesthesiologists, technologists, nurses, engineers, and basic scientists continues. We must keep in mind that the benefit for the patient is the reason for us to create this vision. Following the call for papers, we received more than 70 manuscripts. Every paper underwent a standard peer review by two independent referees unconnected to the guest editors, in addition to review by one of the Guest Editors and the Editor-in-Chief. A variety of basic research and clinical applications are reported in the two parts of this special issue. Significant progress has been achieved in the field of interventional MRI in the last two years as evident in this publication and the recent successfull international symposium in Leipzig, Germany, where the growing clinical interest in this field has been demonstrated. While the results throughout the world are encouraging, it is obvious that there is still a long way to go before our vision becomes reality. We are hopeful that the papers selected for this two-part special issue will provide the stimulation, motivation and dissemination of scientific and clinical knowledge necessary to continue the growth of this field to its routine application in the clinics of the world.