Table 3:
Summary of findings for adverse magnet-resonance imaging related problems in iMRI suites.
| Study (author and year) | Description Magnetic Field Strength in Tesla (T) | Incidence of outcome | N (included cases) | Data quality GRADING (reason) | Critique/comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Choudhri 2014 | Retrospective study that assessed primarily surgical difficulties for pediatric neurosurgical patients undergoing iMRI. (3 T) |
No adverse MRI-related event | 168 | VERY LOW (observational, no control group) | Authors collected MRI-associated data including amount of intravenous contrast administered and “any MRI-imaging related complication”. |
| Cox 2011 | Retrospective study that described clinical challenges and anesthesia outcomes in 98 pediatric patients undergoing 105 iMRI procedures over 10 years. These patients were transferred to a pediatric hospital close-by for postoperative care. (1.5 T) |
No adverse MRI-related event | 105 | VERY LOW (observational, no control group) | Authors stated in the discussion that there was “no significant morbidity attributable to […] the iMR environment”. |
| Jankovski 2008 | Description of development of the neurosurgical iMRI suite and case series describing the first intracranial procedures in the iMRI suite. (3 T) |
No ferromagnetic accidents. 2 burns (1 intergluteal and 1 chest) |
21 | VERY LOW (observational, no control group) | Small case series with frank discussion of various problems encountered (see below for technical problems). |
| Panigrahi 2008 | Case series about anesthetic challenges and operative advantages of iMRI procedures. (1.5 T) |
No ferromagnetic accident | 112 | VERY LOW (observational, no control group) | Published in abstract form only. |
| Raheja 2015 | Retrospective analysis of predominantly surgical outcomes of the first consecutive procedures in the iMRI suite. Cases were analyzed and compared in 3 chronologic subgroups. (1.5 T) |
No adverse MRI-related event | 300 | LOW (observational, no adjustment for confounders) | Analysis of 3 chronologic subgroups showed “learning curve” for process flow. |
| Rao 2012 | Case series over 2 years about anesthesia considerations for intracranial iMRI procedures. (field strength not specified) |
No adverse MRI-related event | 103 | VERY LOW (observational, no control group) | Published in abstract form only. Reported “no significant adverse events related to the iMRI environment”. |
| Schmitz 2003 | Case series about anesthesia for initial neurosurgical iMRI cases at the author’s institution. (1.5 T) |
No adverse MRI-related event | 80 | VERY LOW (observational, no control group) | Authors reported no ferromagnetic accidents or “any untoward events resulting from the high magnetic field”. |
Abbreviations: iMRI: intraoperative magnet-resonance imaging.