MR imaging of pulmonary parenchyma

Poor image quality has severely limited the clinical effectiveness of MR imaging of lung parenchyma. Recent improvements in imaging gradients and the introduction of phased-array receiver coils have improved image quality and should allow the diagnostic advantages inherent in MR imaging to be applied for images of lung parenchyma. The recent introduction of MR ventilation imaging should also provide further insights into airways diseases, including chronic obstructive lung disease (COLD), asthma, and bronchiolitis obliterans. The continuing research in MR imaging of lung parenchyma attests to the difficulty of obtaining good images and to the potential power of this technology.