Diagnostic Imaging

Nuclear medicine braces for effects of Petten reactor shutdown

08/27/2008 - 6:53 PM EST

An unscheduled shutdown of the High Flux Reactor at Petten in the Netherlands has raised concern about a possible interruption of molybdenum-99 supplies for nuclear medicine procedures in Europe and North America.

Optical brain imaging uncovers secret of newborn's first words

08/27/2008 - 0:43 AM EST

A new study could explain why "daddy" and "mommy" are often a baby's first words. The human brain may be hard-wired to recognize certain repetition patterns.

Three-D CTA views assist endovascular aneurysm repair

08/26/2008 - 11:38 AM EST

Conventional surgical repair is considered the gold standard for the treatment of patients with an abdominal aortic aneurysm. Surgery is not only invasive, however; it also carries the risk of perioperative and postoperative complications. Endovascular repair is a less invasive option that has been shown to be an effective alternative.

Awareness of complications improves survival rates

08/26/2008 - 11:36 AM EST

Efficient planning that considers variables and prognostic factors proves vital in RF tumor ablation A group of radiologists from Seoul learned some important lessons from more than 3000 radiofrequency ablation procedures carried out in patients with hepatic tumors during the past decade.

Telerad school in Bangalore aims at shortage

08/26/2008 - 11:34 AM EST

A Yale-trained neuroradiologist who was born and raised in India has established his home country's first teleradiology training center to address a radiologist shortage so severe that less than one practicing diagnostic radiologist is available to meet the medical imaging needs of every 100,000 people.

PWI/DWI brain mismatch widens stroke window

08/26/2008 - 11:29 AM EST

Results of a multicenter international trial indicate MRI perfusion-diffusion mismatch can add a crucial three extra hours for safe administration of tissue plasminogen activator to treat qualified acute stroke patients.

Prostate MR tracks ultrasound ablation

08/26/2008 - 11:26 AM EST

High-intensity focused ultrasound ablation is used to manage localized prostate cancer after external-beam radiation therapy. But post-treatment alterations to prostate zonal anatomy hamper the assessment of local tumor progression that influences decisions about second-line treatment.

Preoperative breast imaging guides surgical management

08/26/2008 - 11:21 AM EST

Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in adult women. One woman in 11 will contract the disease during her lifetime. The primary goal of treatment is cure, through surgery either alone or in combination with radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy. Surgical management options include breast conservation, mastectomy, and palliative treatment.

Noncontrast renal artery MRA shows potential

08/26/2008 - 11:17 AM EST

A noncontrast, flow-dependent FIESTA sequence offers a safe and effective alternative to gadolinium-enhanced MR angiography for renal artery evaluations.

Milk may outperform barium as GI contrast medium

08/26/2008 - 11:15 AM EST

Researchers have found that whole milk is as effective a contrast agent as the standard barium suspension given orally to patients undergoing CT of the gastrointestinal tract. Barium cannot compete with milk in cost or taste.

Optimal GI imaging depends on adequate bowel distention. High-attenuation oral contrast media, such as iodine or barium solutions, are used frequently for this purpose on multislice CT exams.

Magnetic resonance society expands educational scope

08/26/2008 - 11:10 AM EST

ISMRM initiatives introduced at annual meeting emphasize international aspects and online access Radiologists can anticipate access to more web-based educational programming from the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine and a more intense international flavor in the society's future work.

Group creates framework to regulate teleradiology

08/26/2008 - 11:06 AM EST

Draft of global standards covers image quality, security, and controversial issues such as liability In what is likely a precursor to uniform standards for clinical teleradiology, an international network of radiology organizations has drafted guidelines for the burgeoning teleradiology industry.

Desk-sized MR scanner tackles arthritis

08/26/2008 - 11:03 AM EST

Assessment with MR is essential for the early detection of rheumatoid arthritis in the hands and the monitoring of drug therapy, but hand studies are not cost-effective. That's where the Japanese firm MR Technology of Tsukuba, in the prefecture of Ibaraki, comes in.

Head to Seoul in late October for a congress to remember

08/26/2008 - 10:42 AM EST

The attention of the medical imaging community looks set to turn to Seoul later in October, when the 12th Asian Oceanian Congress of Radiology will be held. This is the first time the congress has been staged in Korea since its debut event in 1971, and, given the high quality of radiological practice within the country and its strong educational links with the U.S., the conference is bound to attract plenty of interest. The number and expertise of the invited speakers from North America are certainly impressive.

Changing attitudes bring positive impact to China

08/26/2008 - 10:24 AM EST

Prof. Xiaowing Wang, 37, is director of the radiology department at the Peking University First Hospital. The 1368-bed hospital in Beijing treats nearly 5000 outpatients and emergency cases each day and admits over 25,000 patients annually. The hospital has 3069 full-time staff, including 1227 nurses, and the radiology department has 3T MR and 64-slice CT systems.

Beta-amyloid plaques predict cognitive disease advance

08/26/2008 - 10:19 AM EST

Results from a preliminary PET imaging study suggest that 80% of elderly people with mild cognitive impairment and evidence of beta-amyloid plaque in their brains will develop Alzheimer's disease.

Multislice CT reveals coronary artery anomalies

08/26/2008 - 10:13 AM EST

Coronary artery anomalies are rare, occurring in 0.3% to 1% of the general population. But the clinical importance of these anomalies is significant. Coronary artery anomalies have been found to be a major contributing factor in sudden cardiac deaths in young adults.

Mediterranean telepathology network proves successful, targets teleradiology next

08/25/2008 - 6:47 PM EST

Teleradiology and tele-echocardiography are scheduled to take lead roles in phase two of a telemedicine network established between Italy and Egypt.

MRI strategy supplies early warning of osteoarthritis

08/25/2008 - 0:39 AM EST

A novel MRI technique that tracks naturally occurring polymers in cartilage can lead to the diagnosis of early-stage osteoarthritis and may lead to better drug treatment and a reduction in the need for joint replacement surgeries.

New graphical user interface addresses MR reconstruction

08/22/2008 - 0:25 PM EST

Susceptibility-weighted MR imaging provides high-resolution, distortion-free blood oxygen level-dependent data for assessment of cerebral veins, blood products, and brain lesions. Currently, however, reconstruction of susceptibility-weighted imaging data is not implemented on all MR systems.