Our team of experts covers a wide range of specialized areas, both in radiology – directly with patients – and in collaboration with various clinical disciplines.
Below are some of our specialized fields and the unique features of the highly specialized services offered by our department.
Fetal Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a specialized type of MRI imaging used during pregnancy to produce detailed images of the unborn baby in the womb. This examination technique allows our experts to assess the baby's health and make highly detailed diagnoses, which can also provide insights into the prognosis of developmental disorders.
Unlike X-rays, fetal MRI does not use radiation. Instead, it is based on magnetic fields and radio waves, which have no known harmful effects on the unborn baby.
Fetal MRI is typically performed when there are specific medical indications, such as abnormalities detected during routine ultrasound organ screening. With over 7,000 fetal MRI examinations conducted at the University Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, our department is an international leader in this field.
If you are pregnant and have questions about fetal MRI or would like to schedule an examination with us, please contact us at the following email address: Mandeep.Lakha@meduniwien.ac.at
If you are a referring physician and would like to refer a patient to us, please contact us at the same email address: Mandeep.Lakha@meduniwien.ac.at
Our longstanding expertise in the care of children with central nervous system disorders is well known among many of our clinical partner disciplines. This expertise spans from detailed assessments of MRI scans of newborns to imaging-based evaluations of children with brain tumors.
Because children have unique needs and require especially attentive and precise diagnostics, we ensure care at the highest level: our radiology experts provide seamless support in the management of children with epilepsy, brain tumors, as well as inflammatory and traumatic central nervous system conditions.
Our pediatric imaging center at AKH Vienna is one of the few in the city offering MRI examinations under general anesthesia. To this end, we maintain optimal collaboration with pediatric anesthesiologists.
Imaging plays a crucial role in the evaluation of both children and adults with epilepsy. The experience of the supervising neuroradiologists is particularly important in this context. At our department, we have many years of expertise in this field, making us the ideal partner for the Epilepsy Surgery Center at AKH Vienna.
Our department offers a wide range of non-invasive, image-guided interventions. These procedures are performed using computed tomography (CT) guidance, for example, nerve infiltrations for pain therapy or the treatment of intracranial hypotension. In addition, we also offer ultrasound-guided interventions for both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes (see below).
At the Clinical Division of Neuroradiology and Musculoskeletal Radiology, the full range of modern imaging techniques for the musculoskeletal system and peripheral nerves is tailored to the individual needs of our patients.
In cases of both recent and long-standing musculoskeletal injuries, high-resolution ultrasound is an indispensable diagnostic tool alongside X-ray, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). A wide variety of infiltration and injection techniques throughout the musculoskeletal system are performed under ultrasound guidance, in accordance with the latest scientific standards.
Neurosonography is also gaining importance in both common nerve compression syndromes and in rarer conditions such as polyneuropathies, neuromuscular diseases, and nerve tumors. High-resolution ultrasound not only allows for the localization of nerve abnormalities, but also enables assessment of their extent. Deep-seated structures can be evaluated using complementary magnetic resonance neurography.
Our center has played a leading role in the development of advanced MRI techniques for imaging peripheral nerves—such as diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)—which enables three-dimensional visualization of nerves and provides information about their integrity and even their function.
Pre-surgical Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) is a specialized application of MRI used to map a patient's brain and gather functional information before a neurosurgical procedure. This technique provides the treating medical team with critical insights into brain function, ensuring optimal planning and precision during brain surgery.
Task-based assessments: During pre-surgical fMRI, patients are typically asked to perform specific tasks—such as reading sentences, speaking, or moving certain parts of the body. The activation patterns observed during these tasks provide valuable information about which regions of the brain are involved in each function.
In addition, our department was among the first to implement diffusion tensor tractography, a technique that allows for three-dimensional visualization of neural pathways in the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves. This information enables surgeons to preserve functionally important connections during surgical procedures.
The Neuroradiology Department in Vienna is one of the few centers in Austria capable of providing this level of advanced imaging. As a result, the safety of neurosurgical interventions is significantly enhanced.
We work in close and continuous collaboration with both referring physicians and the treating neurosurgeons.
MR-guided Focused Ultrasound (MRgFUS) therapy is an innovative, non-invasive treatment method for essential tremor—a neurological disorder that causes involuntary shaking movements, primarily in the hands. MRgFUS therapy combines magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with focused ultrasound to precisely target brain tissue and alleviate tremor symptoms.
Highly focused ultrasound waves are directed at specific brain regions, where they induce targeted changes. This results in a significant reduction in symptoms—without a single incision (only the hair on the scalp needs to be shaved for the one-time procedure). During the treatment, the position of the ultrasound beam is continuously monitored in real time using MRI imaging, allowing for precise targeting of the affected brain tissue.
Immediately after the procedure, patients can assess whether their tremor symptoms have improved. In many cases, a significant improvement occurs right away or within days to weeks following treatment.
However, this technique is not suitable for every patient, and a thorough evaluation by a specialized medical team is necessary to determine eligibility.
At our center, this team includes experts from a range of disciplines: neurologists, anesthesiologists, neurosurgeons, and neuroradiologists, all working closely together to ensure the best possible care.
Intraoperative Magnetic Resonance Imaging (iMRI) is an advanced medical procedure in which magnetic resonance imaging is performed using a 3 Tesla scanner in a specially equipped operating room. This allows neurosurgeons to obtain real-time images of the target tissue during surgery, enabling them to monitor and precisely guide their interventions.
Close collaboration with neuroradiology experts is essential for this process. They can provide immediate assessments during the operation regarding the completeness of tumor removal.
At our department, in cooperation with the University Clinic of Neurosurgery, we are also researching intraoperative functional imaging methods—techniques that will allow real-time evaluation of the integrity of critical functional brain areas directly in the operating room.
The intraoperative MRI at MedUni Vienna and Vienna General Hospital (AKH) represents a significant contribution of our department to the safety and accuracy of neurosurgical procedures. This ensures that tumor patient care is maintained at the highest standard.
Inflammatory demyelinating diseases are among the most prevalent causes of non-traumatic physical and mental disability in young adults, while neurodegenerative diseases commonly lead to impairment in older patients.
Imaging is pivotal in both areas, playing a central role in diagnosis and monitoring disease progression.
Leveraging state-of-the-art imaging technology and fostering close collaboration with research teams, we deliver clinically relevant parameters for functional and structural decision support, pertinent to disease processes.
We strive to integrate our state-of-the-art imaging services into an outstanding local clinical network and foster international collaborations, e.g. as an associated centre in the MAGNIMS network.