Journal highlights
The following are highlights from the current issues of RSNA’s peer-reviewed journals.
Contribute to the Future of Pancreatic Imaging
Share your latest advances and discoveries in pancreatic imaging in the Radiology: Imaging Cancer new special collection on pancreatic adenocarcinoma, pancreatic neuroendocrine and hepatobiliary cancers.
We welcome original research articles, reviews and brief reports encompassing imaging and image-guided therapy from cell-based models with organoids, pre-clinical, translational and clinical research. Submissions may address innovations in imaging probes, imaging technologies, image-guided therapies, data analysis methods, public policy and AI/machine learning.
Accepted manuscripts are immediately published and will be presented on the Radiology: Imaging Cancer website.
MRI Biomarkers Can Help Diagnose Parkinson's Disease
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative movement disorder, characterized by rigor, tremor and bradykinesia. PD can be difficult to distinguish from its mimics, including atypical Parkinsonian syndromes (APSs), essential tremor, vascular parkinsonism and drug-induced Parkinsonism.
Most patients with suspected PD undergo standard MRI, which is typically insensitive to PD but can help exclude other diseases. Dopamine transporter imaging, the reference standard, allows radiologists to detect PD and most APSs but not reliably differentiate them.
A recent Radiology review emphasizes the need for combined imaging techniques to diagnose PD. Sven Haller, MD, MSc, Centre d’Imagerie Médicale Cornavin in Geneva, and colleagues describe emerging biomarkers that can be added to standard MRI.
Nigrosome 1 and neuromelanin appear abnormal in PD and most APSs, yet normal in other PD mimics. Identification depends on specific technical parameters and reader experience, but the combined protocol can improve diagnostic confidence and help select patients for dopamine transporter imaging.
“This approach offers a practical, cost-effective and sustainable way to optimize diagnostic workflow and minimize radiation exposure in these patients, while considering overlapping and coexisting diseases,” the authors wrote.
Read the full article, “Clinical MRI Biomarkers to Differentiate Parkinson Disease from Its Mimics.”
Follow the Radiology editor on X @RadiologyEditor.
High-spatial-resolution susceptibility-weighted imaging of a normal nigrosome 1 (N1). Shown are an axial image (left), a magnified image of the midbrain structures (middle, top), a diagram of the midbrain structures (middle, bottom), and an illustration of a swallow (right), highlighting the shape of its tail. The normal N1 is a bright area in the posterior aspect of the substantia nigra, surrounded by two linear hypointense lines, which results in a swallow tail appearance. The following structures are labeled on the diagram of the midbrain: red nucleus, 1; midbrain tegmentum, 2; aqueduct, 3; periaqueductal gray, 4; medial lemniscus, 5; N1, 6; substantia nigra, 7; cerebral peduncle, 8; mammillary body, 9; interpeduncular fossa, 10; optic radiation, 11; third ventricle, 12; temporal lobe, 13; cerebellum, 14; frontal lobe, 15. Adapted, under a CC BY 4.0 license, from reference 71.
https://doi.org/10.1148/radiol.242044 © RSNA 2025
Recent Advances in MASLD Management
Metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), formerly called nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, is the leading cause of steatotic liver disease and chronic liver disease worldwide. Its increased prevalence has accelerated research into noninvasive, blood-based and imaging-based tools for early detection and disease monitoring. Radiologists play a critical role in the prognostication of MASLD, enabling timely intervention and lifestyle changes.
In an article published in RadioGraphics, authors led by Eri G. Osta, MD, MS, University of Texas Health in San Antonio, review the evolving approach to evaluating and managing patients with MASLD. They discuss the 2023 and 2024 guidelines from the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD), featuring updated nomenclature that emphasizes a holistic understanding of disease pathophysiology. They also discuss the shift toward noninvasive tests and liver-specific pharmacologic treatment.
“Adopting imaging techniques in diagnosis and management represents a transformative shift, promising better patient outcomes through more precise and less invasive diagnostic tools,” the authors conclude.
Read the full article, “Current Update on Nomenclature, Diagnosis, and Management of Metabolic Dysfunction–associated Steatotic Liver Disease: Radiologists’ Perspective.” This article is also available for CME on EdCentral.
Follow the RadioGraphics editor on X @RadG_Editor.
Role of MR elastography in assessing eligibility for resmetirom treatment of at-risk MASH patients. (A) Axial T2-weighted image of the liver in a 47-year-old man with aspartate aminotransferase (AST) of 69 U/L, alanine transaminase (ALT) of 54 U/L, and platelet count of 190 × 109/L shows normal liver morphology without evidence of cirrhosis or portal hypertension (arrow). (B) MR elastography stiffness map shows liver stiffness of 3.8 kPa, suggesting advanced fibrosis (stage F3–F4). This patient was eligible to receive resmetirom treatment.
https://doi.org/10.1148/rg.240221 © RSNA 2025
MRI Screening Effective for High-Risk Patients with Low-Density Breast Tissue
Breast MRI is a valuable supplemental screening tool for patients with a high risk of developing breast cancer, even in patients with less dense breasts, according to a new multicenter study published in Radiology: Imaging Cancer.
In a retrospective study, led by David G. Martin, MD, assistant professor at the University of Ottawa in Ontario, Canada, and colleagues studied 10,233 high-risk patients who underwent screening breast MRI. Reporting radiologists assigned breast tissue density using the American College of Radiology BI-RADS categories.
A total of 91 breast cancers were detected, 90 of which were identified via MRI. Only 18 patients in the cohort had breast cancer detected from their most recent screening mammogram. Among patients with BI-RADS category A (almost entirely fatty tissue), six of the seven cancers detected were by using MRI alone, and one was by using mammography and MRI.[MW1]
The researchers found no significant difference in cancer detection rates, regardless of breast density.
“Across all breast tissue density categories, MRI serves as a critical tool for supplemental screening in individuals at high risk for breast cancer,” the authors conclude.
Read the article, “Does the Addition of MRI Help in Breast Cancer Detection in Women with Low Breast Tissue Density in Two Canadian Population-based High-Risk Breast Screening Programs?”