CT

Radiologists should aggressively contest otherwise scientifically sound information on cardiac CT radiation risks that is taken out of context or blown out of proportion, fomenting unreasonable fears of medical imaging among patients.

More stringent criteria to evaluate emergency room patients under 40 years of age with suspected pulmonary embolism could decrease radiation exposure while also saving time and money, according to research presented at the RSNA meeting.

The Brilliance iCT SP (scalable platform) scanner officially joined the Philips CT portfolio at RSNA 2008.

The 2008 RSNA meeting serves as a reference point of sorts for two important trials testing the clinical efficacy of multislice cardiac CT. Results from the Core64 trials of 64-slice coronary CTA were published Nov. 28 while plans for a Core320 trial were announced in Chicago at the RSNA show.

FiatLux Imaging leveraged advances in the video gaming industry to develop software for processing 3D medical images, a product made to order for tight budgets.

A new configuration of GE Healthcare’s LightSpeed VCT cuts dose by up to 40% during routine imaging, according to the company.

Researchers using a massive database of radiology reports to identify 10-year trends in scanning practices found mixed results. The good news: CT scans of children increased only slightly. In adults, however, they increased more than 50%, with abdominal and chest scans leading the way.

Supplier highlights image enhancement softwarePhilips expands CT portfolio with 128-slice CTToshiba unveils breast MR suiteToshiba extends ultrasound reach in breast imagingGE launches low-dose LightSpeed VCTGE debuts thin-client 3D system

Cohort studies presented in a scientific session Sunday showed progress toward employing coronary CT angiography to evaluate the patency of coronary artery stents.

Desist using just RECIST when monitoring neuroendocrine tumors. A combined imaging approach that draws on both molecular and morphological information provides a much better measure of early treatment response, according to a leading German nuclear medicine specialist.

Oncology patients have a fourfold risk above the general population of developing pulmonary embolism. If the patient is receiving chemotherapy, the risk is even greater. Irish radiologists have found that imaging these patients with thin-slice CT during routine staging or restaging can pinpoint clinically unsuspected pulmonary embolism.

Targeted radiation of breast cancer reduces treatment time from six and a half weeks to five days, while reducing pain and improving cosmetic outcome, according to a study presented at the RSNA meeting.

Philips unveils MR scanners at 3T and 1.5T GE debuts MR flagships at 1.5T and 3T GE features new flagship CT Canon readies fluoro offering Philips names CMO

CT angiography of the abdominal aorta is a wellacceptedmodality in the evaluation of bothaneurismal and occlusive disease. In patientswith abdominal aorta aneurysms, it has a major rolein all stages of evaluation.

Nuclear medicine services in 20European countries, the U.S., andCanada are learning to cope with thepotential daily disruptions in the normalsupply of molybdenum-99 fromthe forced shutdown of the High FluxReactor in Petten, the Netherlands.

A new CT scanner built on Siemens’ unique dual-source x-ray technology promises to dramatically reduce dose and eliminate motion artifact in the chest. Using two x-ray tubes and matching detectors, the Somatom Definition Flash, debuted at RSNA 2008, opens the door to routine scanning of the coronaries, according to the company.

In a bid to extend radiation oncology applications, engineers at Philips Healthcare have widened the bore of the company’s premium Gemini TF PET/CT scanner to create the industry’s first big-bore hybrid. Priced north of $2 million, the Gemini TF Big Bore is scheduled to begin shipping next year. Philips is showcasing the Big Bore this week on the RSNA exhibit floor, and beta testing will begin at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital in the next several months.

The superpremium Discovery CT750 HD (high definition) CT scanner debuted Sunday in the GE Healthcare booth. It features technology shown as work-in-progress at last year’s RSNA meeting that boosts spatial resolution to 230 microns and improves contrast resolution 33% in the body to 21.5 lp/cm and 47% in the heart to 14 lp/cm, according to the company.

Using surveillance of 6 to 9-mm polyps with CT colonography instead of referring them for immediate colonoscopy and polypectomy provides a significant cost-effectiveness edge, according to a study presented Sunday.

Prostate-specific antigen measurements are considered a useful organ-specific marker, but they are not necessarily an adequate tumor marker. PET/CT in combination with PSA levels can play a significant role in detecting and staging prostate cancer, according to two presentations Sunday at RSNA 2008.

Results from the largest and longest trial of its kind suggest that patients with intermediate and advanced hepatocellular carcinomas who undergo systematic treatment with three chemotherapeutic agents and arterial embolization plus imaging follow-up have better survival rates than those who undergo nonstandardized chemoembolization regimes.

RSNA newcomer readies breast ultrasoundVital Images launches workstation for webZiosoft allies with MedicsightMerge expands support, OEM offeringsMammo digitizer prepares for RSNA 2008Visage pairs with Viatronix

Nearly 16 million U.S. patients underwent nuclear imaging procedures in 2007, according to a report by marketing research firm IMV Medical Information Division. The figure shows a 3% jump compared with the 15.2 million patients who had a nuclear medicine exam back in 2006.

The RSNA will underscore the unique achievements of Japanese imaging researchers in “Japan Presents,” a presentation of seven scientific papers focusing on diagnostic radiology. On Monday, Dec. 1, each paper will be introduced with the Japanese spin on ideas and concepts.

Siemens unveils new low-dose, high-res CTToshiba pursues Barco visualization divisionInfiMed plans RNSA 2008 launchDunlee offers tubes for BrightSpeed

President-elect Barack Obama’s appointment of former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle to head the Department of Health and Human Services, combined with a commitment from insurers and a detailed plan from the chair of the powerful Senate Finance Committee, suggests strongly that healthcare reform will be a top priority for the new administration and the 111th Congress.

You can tell by the titles of special focus sessions planned for the 2008 RSNA that program committee chair Dr. Robert M. Quencer sees an opportunity to use the sessions to examine tough issues affecting clinical imaging practice.

VC blasts TomoTherapyFDA clears PET-guided biopsyMedtronic launches MR-compatible pacemakerInteleRad snags contract for PACS unifier

Highlights of the 2008 RSNA meeting include discussions about the use of CT angiography as a noninvasive technique for diagnosing coronary artery disease and the replacement of standard optical colonoscopy with CT colonography to screen for colon cancer.

There is nothing like a little momentum to help the RSNA organizers present the latest developments in imaging research in the meeting’s scientific sessions. Everyone associated with imaging sciences from Beijing to New York City understands that presenting research in Chicago is an essential requirement for membership in this unique community.