MRI of diffuse lung and airway disease

Dedicated high end MRI techniques are capable to routinely provide diagnostic images of the lung either in diffuse or airway disease as well as other entities. MRI has overcome the difficulties associated with low spin density, susceptibility artefacts as well as cardiac and respiratory motion. A basic MRI protocol includes visualization of the morphology using fast T1- and T2-weighted sequences as well as post contrast scans. Reticular, nodular and cystic patterns as well as ground glass infiltrates and consolidations are easily visualized. The detection rate is comparable to CT although the images have a lower…