Semi-automated vessel analysis software offered by five vendors tends to underestimate the degree of carotid stenosis, particularly at the higher levels that indicate a need for corrective action, according to a study presented at the RSNA meeting Sunday.

Fatal complications resulting from interventional procedures can be avoided in up to half of cases if radiologists follow the correct procedures. Being familiar with good technique, understanding the desired end point of any procedure, and knowing when to ask for help are keys to success.

Positional MRI, which allows patients free range of motion during imaging, has allowed researchers to determine the optimal sitting posture to reduce chronic back problems. The technique may also be of value in future seating design.

Elasticity imaging with ultrasound allows radiologists to accurately distinguish benign from malignant breast lesions, according to a study presented at the RSNA meeting on Monday. Researchers using the technique correctly identified both cancerous and benign lesions in nearly all of the cases studied.

Seeking to broaden the appeal of its line of gamma cameras, Philips Medical Systems released at the RSNA show today BrightView, a new SPECT platform that can be configured to meet customer demands for premium or value performance. The variable angle dual-head BrightView can handle any exam, including cardiac studies, even supporting multiple acquisition protocols simultaneously.

Although MR colonography (MRC) is proving to be an effective method of colorectal screening, patients are no more likely to accept it than optical colonoscopy, according to two studies presented at the RSNA meeting.

EDDA Technology introduced its enterprise-wide computer-aided detection solution for digital x-ray at the 2006 RSNA meeting. The new version of the company's chest CAD product, IQQA-Chest Enterprise, has evolved from a dedicated workstation to one that can be used on existing PACS review consoles.

Siemens Medical Solutions has launched its newly acquired MammoTest breast biopsy table at the RSNA meeting. Rights to the system were acquired by Siemens this summer from now-defunct Fischer Imaging in a deal brokered by the Federal Trade Commission. Managers in every country should be well versed on the prone stereotactic biopsy unit and ready to begin selling it globally, said Erica Rouleau, national sales director for women’s health at Siemens.

Noncathartic bowel preparation is not an obstacle to accurate CT colonography (CTC). Preparations such as fecal tagging, electronic cleansing, and the use of stool-subtraction algorithms produce results comparable to those obtained with conventional bowel-cleansing preparations, according to studies presented at the RSNA meeting on Monday.

A first study of its kind has quantified the degree to which patients seek care across multiple unaffiliated medical facilities. The results suggest substantial mobility that could yield significant potential savings from the sharing of images across institutional borders.

Two new IT products from Mercury Computer Systems that are ready for commercial release are being highlighted at the 2006 RSNA meeting. The advanced function, new clinical applications, and improved image quality and performance of the Visage CS and Visage PACS will be featured. The company announced on Nov. 17 that its PACS and client server have cleared the FDA.

Aurora Technologies will begin routinely upgrading its installed base of about 20 dedicated breast MR scanners with an acquisition capability that boosts signal-to-noise by 300%, according to the company. The upgrade, called spiral RODEO (Rotating Delivery of Excitation Off-resonance), was commercially launched at the RSNA meeting.

News that CT use in the emergency room is soaring gets cheers in some corners and jeers in others. Radiologists heard from both sides of the appropriateness debate at a Monday morning session at the RSNA meeting.

I'm not sure why, but I think today is the best opening day of the RSNA meeting I can remember. Maybe it's because the weather in Chicago yesterday and today has been beautiful. Maybe getting lucky and finding several nice Christmas presents for my family last night, in just a couple of hours of shopping, is the reason. Maybe the fact that I didn't party last night is responsible.

Computer-aided detection pioneer iCAD demonstrated at the 2006 RSNA meeting SecondLook version 7.2, its latest mammography CAD product. It was released in September. The company will also exhibit works-in-progress products that address mammography and CT colonography. The company sells its latest version of CAD to end-users and OEMs.

Computed radiography arrived at the RSNA meeting Sunday ready for sale into the U.S. market as a mammography application. At the head of the pack was Fujifilm Medical Systems USA, the only vendor with FDA approval to sell CR for mammography. It received the agency green light in July.

MR peripherals maker Resonance Technology introduced at the RSNA meeting its new FuncLAB functional MRI system with automated image data processing. FuncLAB presents functional imaging tasks using high-quality 3D graphics and audio with an automated data processing component that eliminates complex, time-intensive manual data analysis. The server for processing fMRI data attaches to the department network. Functional and anatomic images are automatically sent in DICOM format from the scanner to the processor. Resulting brain maps of anatomy fused with functional results are available onsite and over the Web through a browser-based interface.

IT specialist ScImage debuted a multidepartment PACS, Version 3.0 PicomEnterprise, at the 2006 RSNA meeting. The PACS uses a single database, which allows exams to be scheduled, tracked, reported, archived, and distributed across radiology, cardiology, nuclear medicine, and orthopedics using one Web-based log-on.

IT developer Meta Fusion introduced at the RSNA meeting a value-priced RIS/PACS that can be tailored to imaging centers and small hospitals. The Helium system will ship preconfigured to customers’ specifications, thereby eliminating the need for IT support. Setup requires only that the site attach to the network and add a PC-based viewing station with minimal configuration. The scalable system is designed to grow with the installation. Remote 24/7 monitoring and upgrades that download automatically over the Internet are included.

The assumption that CT colonography is the logical choice for pairing with optical colonoscopy to stage colorectal cancer took a hit at the RSNA meeting today. A prospective study from Europe shows that whole-body FDG-PET/CT is significantly more accurate than CT colonography for staging colorectal tumors.