Whole-body MR diagnostic concepts

The term whole-body magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) covers a whole series of different MRI techniques that can be used for detecting various diseases. Whole-body magnetic resonance angiography facilitates the visualization of the entire arterial system from head to toe with the exception of the coronary arteries. Whole-body MRA is clinically used for therapy planning in patients with multiple stenoses and may be able to be used in the future as a screening method for high risk populations, for example in patients with coronary heart disease. Whole-body MRI can replace skeletal scintigraphy in the detection of bone marrow metastases by using fluid-sensitive sequences. Fast contrast-enhanced sequences can be used as an alternative approach in the search for tumors. Whole-body MRI can even be superior to a combination of positron-emission tomography and computed tomography in the detection of distant metastases. This article presents the recent developments in whole-body MRI and its established indications, which in the future might lead to a change in the paradigm for the diagnostic work-up of many diseases. (orig.)