It costs time

  Interval Breast Cancer (IBC) remains one of the most important quality markers in breast cancer screening programs. These are cancers diagnosed  after a negative screening mammogram but before the next scheduled screen —and they represent the uncomfortable gray zone between biology, technology, and human interpretation. A recent large-scale study from Taiwan, analyzing  6.5 million screening mammograms  in  2.88 million women , provides one of the most comprehensive insights into  why interval cancers happen and how we can reduce them . 1. Dense Breasts: Still the Biggest Blind Spot The study confirms the firm association between breast density and the risk of IBC: Extremely dense breasts (BI-RADS D): IBC risk = 1.15 per 1000 person-years Fatty breasts (BI-RADS A): IBC risk = 0.29 per 1000 person-years That’s nearly a  4X increase . Dense breast tissue not only hides cancers but is also biologically more prone to aggressive tumors. For clinicians, th...

  1. Higher Signal-to-Noise Ratio (~40% improvement) A  quadrature coil  uses  two coils placed 90° apart , receiving signals in two orthogonal directions. These two independent signals combine  constructively , giving: √2 (≈ 1.41×) higher SNR Better image quality, especially for low-signal tissues. More SNR = better resolution, faster scans, or both. 2. Better Sensitivity to Circularly Polarized MR Signal The MR signal emitted by precessing protons is  circularly polarized . A single coil picks up only  one component  of this circular motion. A quadrature coil picks up  both components , matching the physics of precession much better → more efficient signal capture. 3. Reduced Noise Noise is random and uncorrelated between the two coils, while MR signal is correlated. When signals combine: Signal adds  coherently Noise adds  incoherently ➡️ Improves SNR without increasing noise. 4. Less Transmit Power Needed In transmit mode, quadr...

  Indeterminate intracranial aneurysms  are one of the most frustrating gray zones we face in neurovascular imaging. A small bulge at the PCom origin, a questionable ACom prominence, or an ICA outpouching that “could be” an infundibulum—these findings often push clinicians toward invasive angiography purely to clarify anatomy. A recent study comparing  Proton-Density MRA (PD-MRA)  with high-resolution  Time-of-Flight MRA (HR-MRA) brings a major shift: ➡️  PD-MRA dramatically outperforms HR-MRA  in diagnosing aneurysms among indeterminate lesions. ➡️ Offers  near-perfect interobserver agreement . ➡️ May  reduce the need for DSA  in many borderline cases. This blog breaks down the study highlights into simple, clinically useful points. Why This Study Matters In day-to-day reporting: 3–5 mm (or smaller) vascular bulges are  frequently indeterminate  on CTA/MRA. Up to  18% of lesions  on standard MRA fall into this ambigu...