MRI-based synthetic CT for assessment of the bony elements of the sacroiliac joints in children

ConclusionsCT appears to be visually equivalent to CT for the assessment of pediatric sacroiliac joints. sCT may aid in visualizing sacroiliac joints compared to conventional MRI, with the benefit that no ionizing radiation is used, especially important in children.Critical relevance statementMRI-based synthetic CT, a new technique that generates CT-like images without ionizing radiation, appears to be visually equivalent to CT for assessment of normal pediatric sacroiliac joints and can potentially assess structural damage as it clearly depicts bony cortex.Key points• MRI-based sCT is a new image technique that can generate CT-like images.• We found that sCT performs similarly to CT in displaying bony structures of pediatric sacroiliac joints.• sCT has already been clinically validated in the sacroiliac joints in adults.• sCT can potentially assess structural damage from erosions or ankylosis as it clearly depicts bony cortex.Graphical Abstract

Source: Insights into Imaging - February 18, 2024 Category: Radiology Source Type: research