Purpose of the study. To evaluate the practical significance of MRI in the primary diagnosis of inflammatory lung diseases, as well as in follow-up control of treatment, also in comparison with the results of CT of the chest.Material and Methods. In 25 patients with acute pneumonia, six of them with acute myocardial infarction developed as complication of it, the MRI of the chest organs was performed in T1 - and T2-weighted (-w.) modes, also with fat signal suppression, with slice thickness of 2.5 to 5 mm, in a matrix of 256 × 256 or 256 ×392 pixels, with a scanning field of view as large as 40 x 40 cm. In T1-w. mode TR = 390–650 ms, TE = 10–15 ms. When T2-w. scanning, respectively, TR = 2900 -4000 ms, TE = 20–25 ms. Paramagnetic contrast enhancement was also carried out in 16 of 24 patients, at a dosage of 0.1 mmol/kg of body weight. Post-contrast images were acquired 12-17 minutes after the introduction of paramagnetic agent. In 17 out of 25 of our patients, chest CT was also performed.Results. The minimal cross-dimension of focal inflammatory lesions for community-acquired pneumonia, imaged with MRI chest scanning was as little as 9 х 21 mm. The dimensions of lung lesion obtained from the MRI scanning did correlate significantly with results of the CT (r = 0.96, p < 0.001). Also MRI of the lung did prove the successful cure of pneumonia. Also in six cases the MRI verified the acute myocardial infarction occurred as complication of severe pneumonia. Based on the results of MRI of the lungs and chest, the treatment strategy was supplemented in 16 cases and significantly changed in 9 cases.Conclusion. MRI of the lungs employing the T1- and T2-weighted protocols with fat suppression, diffusionweighted imaging and use of contrast enhancement delivers highly efficient technique of imaging of nodal, segment and lobe inflammation. MRI of the chest should be reasonably employed for diagnosis and follow-up of treatment in hospitals and diagnostic units possessing high- and middle-field MRI scanners able toacquire the images in breath-synchronised mode.

Aim: to evaluate the possible role of contrast-enhanced MRI studies  of the kidneys in prognosis of clinical effect of the renal denervation treatment of the resistant hypertension.Material and methods. 24 patients (57.8 ± 8.75 years) with  resistant hypertension were included, in everybody the  radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of the sympathetic nerves of renal  arteries was carried out. The average 24-h monitor of the arterial  pressure was as 137–210/57–148 mm Hg. The MRI studies were  performed using MRI scanner “Titan Vantage” (by “Toshiba Medical  Ltd”, with the field induction 1.5 Т). After this the intravenous  contrast enhancement has been carried out (with 0.5 М solution, 0.2 ml/Kg), with repeat acquisition of Т1-weighted spin-echo images in3–5 min after contrast injection.Results.MRI was employed for quantitative calculation of renal  volumes of cortex, medulla and of kidney as total, as well as of  suprarenal’s volume. Significant negative correlation of postoperation decrease of arterial pressure has been detected with both volume of renal cortex, as {Decrease in AP = 42.7–0.35 • (V left kidney)}, and  also with mass of the right suprarenal gland as {Decrease in  SAP = 16.5–6.78 • • (V right suprarenal)}.Conclusion.The anatomic quantitative data of the preoperativeMRI studies of the kidneys can be employed as prognostic tool in  patients referred to the renal denervation treatment of the resistant hypertension.

Objective.To study the changes of 24-hour blood pressure parameters and brain structure at follow-up after transcatheter renal denervation in resistant hypertension.Design and methods.We enrolled patients with verified resistant hypertension undergoing an intervention that included 4–8 applications of radiofrequency discharge in both renal arteries using a standard catheter5 F under the controlled temperature regimen (60 С0, 8 Watt, 2-minute application). The efficiency of the intervention was assessed by the office and 24-hour blood pressure decrease within 6 months after intervention. All subjects underwent magnetic resonance tomography («Magnetom-OPEN», «Siemens AG», Germany).Results.By the time of statistical analysis 45 subjects underwent renal denervation, there was not a single case of renal artery damage. At six-month follow-up a significant reduction of office blood pressure (-34,8/-17,2 mmHg; p < 0,00001/0,00001), and mean 24-hour blood pressure (-11,1/-7,1 mmHg; p < 0,001/0,001) was found. No increase of encephalopathy signs by magnetic resonance tomography was found. At the same time there was a reduction of the linear size of lateral ventricles of the brain, subarachnoid space, III ventricle of the brain, liquor volume in the lateral ventricles of the brain.Conclusions.Renal denervation is a safe method resulting in effective blood pressure reduction in resistant hypertension. It is associated with the positive changes of encephalopathy and liquor dynamics according to the magnetic resonance tomography.