||Last Updated: Nov 17th, 2006 - 22:35:04
New way of tracking muscle damage from radiation
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) could become a valuable tool for predicting the risk of muscle injury during and following radiation therapy, according to investigators at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
Nov 7, 2006, 14:29
Audit shows excellent performance of radiologists in interpreting mammograms
A recent study of medical audit data funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) revealed that community mammography screening results surpass performance recommendations across the United States.
Sep 26, 2006, 16:26
Comparing MDCT and digital radiography in orthopedic patients
Multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) using high-quality 2D formatting is highly recommended as the primary imaging technique for the evaluation of bone healing, according to a study done by radiologists at the Medical University of Vienna in Vienna, Austria.
Aug 3, 2006, 17:20
New MRI technique shows emphysema in asymptomatic smokers
A new imaging method has revealed early signs of emphysema in smokers with no external symptoms of the disease, according to a study published in the June issue of Radiology. The study, supported by the National Institutes of Health, details a new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique that appears to be much more sensitive to lung changes than even the current modality of choice, computed tomography (CT).
May 31, 2006, 17:08
Safety profile for CT colonography (CTC) favorable
The safety profile for CT colonography (CTC) is extremely favorable, particularly for the purposes of screening patients with no symptoms and when distending the colon using an automated carbon dioxide technique, a finding that goes against the higher complication rates for CTC reported by other groups, according to a new study.
May 3, 2006, 01:15
Modulating tube current to account for body symmetry reduces radiation exposure in CT
By lowering the tube current to account for both the weight and body symmetry of a child, an abdominal CT radiation dose can be reduced by 60% without compromising the image quality, says a new study by researchers from the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania.
May 3, 2006, 01:09
Training on virtual 'patient' improves carotid angiography skills
Cardiologists can learn to perform risky catheter procedures such as carotid angiography on a virtual patient simulator, rather than on real patients, according to a new study in the May 2, 2006, issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. "Virtual reality simulation technology has advanced to the point where we can actually use a virtual environment and have the trainee learn in a very 'patient-safe' way in a virtual patient environment and make mistakes on a virtual patient versus doing it on a real patient," said Christopher U. Cates, M.D., F.A.C.C., F.S.C.A.I. from the Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia. Twenty interventional cardiologists participating in the Emory NeuroAnatomy Carotid Training program underwent an instructional course on carotid angiography and then performed five serial simulated carotid angiograms on the Vascular Interventional System Training (VIST) VR simulator. The cardiologists committed fewer catheter errors, while performing the virtual procedure in less time, and subjecting the virtual patient to less X-ray imaging and smaller injections of contrast agent during the final run compared to the first one.
Apr 28, 2006, 02:14
Radiologic signs more than double sensitivity of MRIs
Radiologists can make a more accurate preoperative diagnosis of damage to knee cartilage by using four radiologic 'signs', a recent study found. Using the four signs to identify the extent and type of damage to knee cartilage makes interpreting MRIs with higher degrees of accuracy easier for any radiologist, regardless of their level of expertise.
Feb 12, 2006, 18:04
CT Enteroclysis Has a Superior Diagnostic Value in Crohn's Disease
The diagnostic value of CT enteroclysis is superior to conventional enteroclysis, previously considered the gold standard, as an imaging method for the evaluation of the small bowel in patients with Crohn's disease, a new study shows.
Jan 31, 2006, 19:38
Characteristic Cardiac Scar Pattern Predicts Risk Of Fatal Arrhythmias
Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of the heart wall, researchers at Johns Hopkins have found that people whose muscle wall thickness contained more than 25 percent scar tissue were approximately nine times more likely to test positive for a fast and dangerous heart rhythm known as ventricular arrhythmia.
Nov 2, 2005, 03:51
Remote Detection Makes NMR Compatible with Microfluidics
A breakthrough in the technology of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), one of the most powerful analytic tools known to science, is opening the door to new applications in microfluidic chips, devices for studying super-tiny amounts of fluids. A team of scientists with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and the University of California, Berkeley, has demonstrated a means by which NMR can be made compatible with microfluidic “lab-on-a-chip” devices. This demonstration holds great promise for biomedical research, the detection of biohazards and toxic chemicals, and other endeavors in which the chemical composition of a fluid must be determined.
Oct 11, 2005, 00:48
‘Batch Reading’ Mammograms Lowers Recall Rates
Batch reading, the process of interpreting screening mammograms during a set-aside block of time in a quiet environment that prevents interruption or distraction, can significantly reduce the number of patients who have to return for additional mammograms—although few hospitals use it, say researchers from the University of Wisconsin.
Sep 7, 2005, 07:45
Fluorescence spectroscopy can detect inflammatory cells in blood vessels
Now, in a study involving laboratory rabbits, a device that stimulates, collects and measures light emissions from body tissues has been able to detect the presence of inflammatory cells that are associated with critical atherosclerotic plaques in humans – plaques that are vulnerable to rupture.
Aug 14, 2005, 14:35
MRI is Better Than SPECT in Assessing Heart Damage in Patients with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
Contrast-enhanced MRI is better than SPECT in detecting heart damage in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a disease that can lead to sudden death in young patients.
Aug 6, 2005, 16:58
Contrast Agent Allows Quicker, More Thorough MRI Screening of Living Liver Donors Before Surgery
A single dose of the contrast agent gadobenate dimeglumine can help liver donors avoid multiple MRI examinations during the screening process, cutting down on time and cost without compromising accuracy, say researchers from the Yonsei University College of Medicine in Seoul, Korea.
Aug 6, 2005, 11:39
MDCT Arthrography Good for Assessing Hip Dysplasia
MDCT arthrography is an accurate method for assessing cartilage loss in patients with hip dysplasia and may be more reliable than MRI in such instances, says a new study by researchers from Osaka University Medical School in Japan.
Aug 6, 2005, 11:39
CT Significantly Reduces the Need for Appendectomy
Lowers Negative Appendectomy Rate from 20% to 3% at Urban Hospital
Jun 8, 2005, 19:49
MDCT Highly Accurate for Diagnosing Coronary Artery Disease in Patients With Zero to Moderate Coronary Calcification
In patients with no or moderate coronary calcification, 16-slice MDCT allows the reliable detection of coronary artery stenosis with high diagnostic accuracy, say researchers from Tuebingen University Hospital in Germany. Coronary artery stenosis is the narrowing of coronary arteries due to the build-up of calcified plaques.
May 4, 2005, 18:02
Chest X Rays can help Detect Osteoporosis
Undetected osteoporosis in the elderly might be discovered if chest radiographs (x-ray images) that are done for other reasons were examined for fractures of the vertebrae, according to an article in the April 25 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Apr 26, 2005, 18:44
Newer Imaging Techniques May Lead to Over-Treatment
Newer imaging technologies allow physicians to visualize more of the arteries in the lungs, including detecting small blood clots not previously seen, but seeing more may have little impact on the patient’s outcome, a new study suggests.
Apr 5, 2005, 17:47
Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) may guide therapy designed to prevent heart attacks
A catheter-based imaging technology called optical coherence tomography (OCT) can successfully identify the characteristics of coronary plaques in patients with various cardiac symptoms.
Mar 27, 2005, 16:24
A New Dyssynchrony Imaging Technique to Aid Cardiologists in the Quantification of Left Ventricular Mechanical Dyssynchrony
The Aplio CV’s new Dyssynchrony Imaging technique aids cardiologists in the quantification of left ventricular mechanical dyssynchrony by providing a color-coded display that demonstrates the timing of events within the myocardium of the heart. Early mechanical events are green and severely delayed events are displayed red, allowing clinicians to quickly identify the presence and severity of the patient’s dyssynchronous events.
Mar 4, 2005, 12:16
Full body MRI can be used as screening tool for cancer and heart diseases
The use of full-body cardiovascular and tumor MRI to screen for disease in patients who do not have any suspicious symptoms is technically feasible, but for the present, full-body MRI screening should not be performed outside of a research setting due to the uncertainty of whether the benefits outweigh the risks, according to a new study by researchers from the University Hospital of Essen in Germany. For the study, the researchers conducted 298 full-body MRI screenings of healthy patients. The screenings revealed that 21% of the study group exhibited signs of atherosclerotic disease and 12% had peripheral vascular disease. Twelve colon polyps, nine pulmonary lesions, two cerebral infarctions and one myocardial infarction were also discovered. In addition, 29% of the examinations revealed relevant additional findings in nontargeted organs.
Feb 4, 2005, 19:25
The accuracy of mammographic interpretation
The accuracy of mammographic interpretation can vary widely, but the source of the variability has not been explained. To investigate the relationship between radiologists' characteristics and actual performance, William E. Barlow, Ph.D., of Cancer Research and Biostatistics in Seattle, and colleagues surveyed 124 radiologists and tracked cancer outcomes from the more than 460,000 screening mammograms they interpreted between 1996 and 2001.
Greater volume of mammograms interpreted and more years of experience were not associated with greater accuracy. However, greater volume was associated with higher sensitivity (more true positive results in women who had breast cancer) and lower specificity (more false positive results in women who did not have breast cancer) whereas more experience was associated with lower sensitivity and higher specificity. The authors conclude that increasing volume requirements for radiologists is unlikely to improve the interpretation of mammograms.
Dec 16, 2004, 19:25