Michael Moche1, Susann Heinig1, Gregor Thrmer1, Nikita Garnov1, Jochen Fuchs1, Tim Riedel1, Thomas Kahn1, Harald Busse1
1Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology Department, Leipzig University Hospital, Leipzig, Germany
MRI is the method of choice for the definition of suspect liver lesions that are barely or not seen with ultrasound or CT imaging. A definite diagnosis is often made by histological analysis of biopsy samples. In a cylindrical 60-cm bore MRI, the remaining space is practically too small to guide and place the biopsy instrument inside the magnet. This work uses a previously described navigation solution with virtual real-time needle guidance outside the bore and optimized intermediate control scanning. A diagnostic accuracy of 89% and estimated procedure times below 40 min appear to be tolerable for clinical routine.