San Francisco VA Medical Center

Adam Jung, MD, PhD, indicates the larger bore size of the new 3 Tesla MRI scanner which can accomodate patients with a greater body mass and offer a less-claustrophobic experience.

You may have heard about medical imaging techniques used by Radiologists to diagnose and treat diseases and injuries. You’ve probably had an x-ray some time in your life. And you might know someone who’s had magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). But are you aware that the Radiology Department has just installed a state-of-the-art 3.0 Tesla MRI scanner which will improve magnetic resonance imaging of the body?

“Radiology in general is a field that covers the imaging of patient disease,” said SFVAMC Chief of Magnetic Resonance Imaging Adam Jung, M.D., PhD. Medical imaging relies on a variety of diagnostic techniques to assist doctors in visualizing normal and abnormal conditions. These include: computerized tomography (CT); nuclear medicine; MRI; ultrasound; radiography (x-rays) and fluoroscopy.

One of these techniques, MRI, uses a powerful magnetic and a computer to produce detailed images of internal body structures. The images are transmitted electronically to a specialized computer monitor and are reviewed by a sub-specialty trained Radiologist

“In the past we’ve had 1.5 Tesla MRI scanners at the San Francisco VA Medical Center,” said Jung. “Upgrading to double the magnet strength provides a lot of theoretical advantages for imaging, such as capturing a faster image at a higher resolution and more detail. It’s kind of like going from a regular TV to high definition.”

Another major advantage to patients is the new 3 Tesla MRI has a larger bore size than previous scanners. “The bore is the center of the magnetic cylinder that the patient is placed within, so a larger bore size means we can accommodate patients with a greater body mass; and our patients might be less claustrophobic in a larger space,” explained SFVAMC Chief of Radiology Judy Yee, M.D.

Of special importance to our male Veterans is that the 3 Tesla MRI will be extremely helpful in diagnosing and characterizing prostate cancer.  “We can now do imaging that we weren’t able to do in the past, including advanced multiparametric prostate imaging,” said Jung.

“Prostate cancer is the most common noncutaneous cancer in males, and imaging has progressively played a bigger role in diagnosing and characterizing prostate cancer,” said Jung, considered an expert at performing MRI-guided prostate biopsies. Jung also spearheaded forming the MRI prostate biopsy program at UCSF. “We’re hoping to bring some of these benefits over to the VA. With the majority of the patients at SFVAMC being men, it becomes obvious that this is an optimal setting to conduct prostate imaging.”

“The biggest advantage with the new MRI is that there is no ionizing radiation (x-rays),” explained Yee. “There’s a fear of radiation that might prevent patients (such as younger patients and female patients) from getting treatment when there’s a medical necessity, so MRI offers an excellent alternative.”

“Other clinical applications of the 3 Tesla Magnet include neurologic, body, cardiac, musculo-skeletal, and vascular imaging, The MRI machines are fully-equipped with the most recent coils and sequences,” said Yee. “

The SFVAMC Radiology Department performs a staggering 80,000 procedures each year. A significant amount of research is done here as well. In addition to the clinical 3 Tesla Magnet, there is a research 3 Tesla and a 7 Tesla that will be used for the imaging of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Gulf War illness, and various neuro-toxic agents.

What does all this mean for our Veterans? “We have one of the most advanced Radiology Departments in the country,” said Jung. “We have a strong affiliation with UCSF, so we have Radiologists who interpret studies at both facilities; and this is the highest NIH-funded Radiology Department within the VA system.” National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding is money given for research. “This is a flagship VA for radiology research. Our patients should know they are getting cutting-edge, up-to-date imaging as well as interpretations.”

“I think it’s comforting to patients to know that we’re constantly looking at new techniques and new imaging modalities to improve patient care,” added Yee. “That’s how we keep the cutting edge.”

For more information about the SFVAMC Radiology Department call (415) 750-2039.