CT

The production of molybdenum-99 at the High Flux Reactor in Petten, the Netherlands, may begin again in February, signaling the end to a five-month shortage of medical isotopes essential for nuclear imaging at medical facilities throughout Europe.

A National Research Council panel has concluded that commercial volumes of molybdenum-99 can be produced cost-effectively with low-enriched uranium. Mo-99 is the precursor of technetium-99m, a radioisotope used in most nuclear imaging procedures. The finding establishes a framework for weaning manufacturers of their reliance on nuclear bomb-grade uranium for Mo-99 production.

Researchers at a private diagnostic imaging center in central Florida have shown 3T MRI of the wrist is nearly as sensitive and specific as arthroscopy for detection of wrist ligament tears. MR could spot abnormalities missed by standard imaging tests and avoid needless surgeries, according to the investigators.

A study from the Institute for Energy and Environment Research indicates that U.S. radiation exposure regulations and compliance assessment guidelines often underestimate the risk of radiation for women and children because they are based on standards of a “reference man,” a hypothetical 20- to 30-year-old white male.

The creators of CT screening colonographyhave not waited for the medicalestablishment and insurers to accept itas an alternative to optical colonoscopy.

Nuclear medicine physicians at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City have reported encouraging results with dual-isotope SPECT/CT for accurately diagnosing and localizing infection in the feet of diabetic patients.

Medicare’s outpatient imaging program has issued a New Year’s greeting in the form of rules in the 2009 Physician Fee Schedule that raise professional reimbursement rates, expand the discount for contiguous body part imaging to more applications, and introduce anti-markup rules that are far less harsh than those originally proposed.

Increased use of CT to image pneumonia is unlikely to be the sole cause of increased hospital costs for pneumonia patients, according to a study from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.

Efforts to raise awareness about the associated risks of CT-based radiation exposure and the need to keep children from receiving unnecessary scans seem to be achieving traction among healthcare providers, according to a study by Ohio researchers. Their findings suggest that such increased awareness may make referring physicians less likely to order imaging that involves ionizing radiation for young patients.

The production of molybdenum-99 at the High Flux Reactor in Petten, the Netherlands, is unlikely to restart in February 2009 as had been planned, according to the facility’s operators, the Nuclear Research and Consultancy Group.

Despite encouraging earlier results, the much-awaited follow-up phase III DIAS-2 trial did not show any improvement in clinical response at 90 days for ischemic stroke patients who were given either of two doses of desmoteplase up to nine hours after the onset of symptoms of stroke compared with those who were given placebo.

Recommendations from an Oregon Health and Science Center study have clashed with the findings from a University of Wisconsin trial on the value of polypectomy for small polyps identified during CT colonography. The Oregon study calls for immediate resection while the Wisconsin trial concludes that removal would be costly, risky, and, by definition, unnecessary.

Educational efforts to raise awareness about the associated risks of CT-based radiation exposure and the need to keep children from receiving unnecessary scans seem to be achieving traction among healthcare providers, according to a study by Ohio researchers. Their findings suggest that such increased awareness may make referring physicians less likely to order imaging that involves ionizing radiation for young patients.

Educational efforts to raise awareness about the associated risks of CT-based radiation exposure and the need to keep children from receiving unnecessary scans seem to be achieving traction among healthcare providers, according to a study by Ohio researchers. Their findings suggest that such increased awareness may make referring physicians less likely to order imaging that involves ionizing radiation for young patients.

Discovery PET/CT 600 debuted at the RSNA meeting, taking a midtier position in GE Healthcare’s family of hybrid devices.

A lesion’s type and location, and the number of muscles that a needle has to pierce to reach it, rather than the number of procedures, determine the level and duration of pain after radiofrequency ablation of osteoid osteomas, according to Mayo researchers.

A low-cost 16-slice scanner designed for cost-constrained customers debuted at the Philips booth during the RSNA meeting.

In the aftermath of Medicare’s less than encouraging evaluation of virtual CT colonography for colorectal cancer screening, Dr. Elizabeth McFarland used the RSNA’s Annual Oration in Diagnostic Radiology to identify past achievements and ongoing initiatives she believes will lead to the modality’s acceptance.

Low-dose PET/CT demonstrates the best sensitivity and specificity for initial staging of lymphoma, according to a study presented on Thursday at the RSNA meeting.

Increased use of CT for pneumonia is unlikely to be the sole cause of increased hospital costs at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, according to a study presented Dec. 5 at RSNA

In the aftermath of Medicare’s less than encouraging evaluation of virtual CT colonography for colorectal cancer screening, Dr. Elizabeth McFarland used the RSNA’s Annual Oration in Diagnostic Radiology to identify past achievements and ongoing initiatives she believes will lead to the modality’s acceptance.

In response to demands for evidence that cardiac CT will positively affect patient outcomes, researchers presented results at the RSNA conference Wednesday attesting to its value for identifying which intermediate risk patients are most likely to suffer future catastrophic coronary events.

In response to demands for evidence that cardiac CT will positively affect patient outcomes, researchers presented results at the RSNA conference Wednesday attesting to its value for identifying which intermediate risk patients are most likely to suffer future catastrophic coronary events.

Philips Healthcare showcased at RSNA 2008 a hybrid SPECT/CT that incorporates a flat-panel x-ray system in place of a standard multislice CT. The FDA-cleared scanner, BrightView XCT, which debuted at the Society of Nuclear Medicine meeting in New Orleans, is built around the BrightView SPECT that Philips released commercially last year.

CT colonography can screen for both colorectal cancer and osteoporosis reliably at minimal additional cost and time, according to a study presented Tuesday at the RSNA meeting.

The availability of a portable CT scanner in an emergency room significantly increases the number of patients who are eligible for life-saving treatment.

Stroke victims get faster “door-to-CT” time when departments communicate effectively, especially when emergency medical staff is called while the patient is en route to the hospital.

Siemens Healthcare showcased at RSNA 2008 a PET/CT designed with radiologists in mind. It emphasizes CT performance and casts PET as the “smart contrast” that enhances the dynamic information delivered by CT. Siemens is pitching the CT component of its new Biograph mCT (molecular CT) as the most important part of the scanner and the PET component as delivering complementary information.

GE launches new digital XR systemsPhilips unveils new 16-slice CTDigital stereotaxy adds to GE digital mammoTouchscreen enhances GE compact ultrasound

The news was mixed for CT in the emergency department in research presented Wednesday at the RSNA meeting. CT was found to be better than ultrasound for diagnosing ER patients with abdominal pain, but radiation dose can be drastically reduced for patients suspected of appendicitis, according to authors of several studies.