CT

Imaging of infection provides a classic example of nuclear medicine's strengths and weaknesses. Radiopharmaceutical tracers can locate infection sites with great accuracy. As with oncology imaging, however, the absence of anatomic landmarks makes it difficult to determine the location to which the hot spot on a color map corresponds. A better road map, capable of locating the position of signal more precisely, would make it easier to diagnose the cause of infection and plan the most appropriate treatment.

Combined SPECT/CT scanners are receiving a warm welcome in the nuclear cardiology community. Acquisition of CT data immediately before or after a myocardial perfusion SPECT exam is proving to be an effective means of minimizing attenuation artifacts. Multislice SPECT/CT units could also pave the way to comprehensive assessments of cardiac function.

The marriage between PET and CT worked so well it made CT almost a standard component of any PET purchase. As installations of SPECT/CT begin, observers are waiting to see how this latest hybrid compares.

Few radiologists would disagree that computer-assisted detection in the colon has a long way to go before it is ready for routine clinical implementation. But once the remaining technical challenges have been overcome, advocates for CT colonography screening will have a far stronger case, according to speakers at the CARS meeting in June.

Contrast-enhanced 64-slice CT can accurately detect and characterize atherosclerotic coronary lesions, according to a study published in the July issue of Journal of the American College of Cardiology. The data signal coronary imaging’s shift in focus from stenosis to coronary plaque.

One of the first studies of its kind has found integrated PET/CT to be a highly accurate method for diagnosing coronary artery disease. Hybrid imaging could become clinically viable in this setting, complement CT coronary angiography, and challenge MRI.

Toshiba has been experimenting for years with a 256-slice CT, developed in collaboration with the Japanese government. Much of the work has been focused on engineering, but clinical studies have begun. Researchers from institutions in Chiba and Osaka, Japan, are producing dynamic images of liver cancer.

Merge eMed unveils fetal 3D packageTwo-D fetal images can be reconstructed in 3D using a plug-in package developed by Cedara Software. The product, called Baby Explorer, is being marketed by Cedara’s parent company, Merge eMed. It runs on a standard PC, supports multiple image types, and exports images that can be printed on standard printers or saved on CD-ROMs.

NeuroLogica wants to fill the gaps left by the surge of new superpremium CTs and advanced SPECT cameras. The 18-month-old imaging company, based in Danvers, MA, has begun building niche products in these two modalities specifically for neurological applications.

Sales of 16-slice CTs led the industry to new heights last year, topping $1.3 billion in new unit sales to U.S. customers. Industry pundits expect even better numbers this year, as all three CT vendors are now in full production with 64-slice products. These units have grabbed the spotlight for their radiological and especially cardiological applications, but they are just the most visible facet of an increasingly complex CT market.

Previous studies have shown that Cry61, a cysteine-rich gene, can induce angiogenesis to improve arterial flow in rabbits with ischemic limb disease. A swine study demonstrated that neovasculature resulting from the infusion of the gene boosts myocardial blood flow to treat myocardial infarction. Nuclear physician Dr. Pascal Merlet and colleagues in the nuclear medicine department of Hopital Bichat in Paris and the cardiology department of Hopital Universitaire Henri Mondor in Creteil, France, performed the experiment.

Few radiologists would disagree that computer-assisted detection in the colon has a long way to go before it is ready for routine clinical implementation. But once the technical challenges have been overcome, advocates for CT colonography screening will have a far stronger case, according to speakers at the Computer Assisted Radiology and Surgery meeting in June.

Opponents of the government's plans to reduce technical payments for cross-sectional imaging of contiguous body parts and to apply the self-referral laws to nuclear medicine have until the end of this month to voice their disapproval.

Sixty-four slice CT makes all things radiologic better. The high spatial and temporal resolutions that work so well for cardiac imaging also improve other applications, especially vascular studies.

The ability to simultaneously display 3D anatomic and molecular information to evaluate lung cancer earned recognition from the Society of Nuclear Medicine in its choice of image of the year.

Electron-beam CT angiography topped catheter angiography in determining the most at-risk adult patients with congenital coronary artery defects. Although both techniques showed the anomalies, EBCT better depicted the proximal course of anomalous vessels, according to a small study from Turkey reported in the September issue of Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions.

July saw just one more FDA clearance (24) than the previous month, but the number of sophisticated submissions took a sharp turn to the north. Devices in image management and CT promise interesting twists on established offerings, while others in nuclear medicine, ultrasound, and x-ray indicate expansions of some vendors’ product lines.

China’s increasing demand for modern healthcare innovations has given a welcome boost to the makers of medical imaging equipment. With no sign of a slowdown in growth, it is little wonder that Siemens Medical Solutions is ramping up its investment in this market.

Usually, the beginnings of great change are recognized only in hindsight. The exception to that rule may have happened Aug. 24. This was the day the developers of Cell Broadband Engine Architecture -- known informally as Cell -- flung wide the doors to the technical underpinnings of this new computing chip.

Researchers in Japan have tested a prototype 256-slice CT scanner in human patients, according to a study in the July issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology. The technology enabled dynamic imaging of liver cancer in real-time.

Few radiologists would disagree that computer-assisted detection in the colon has a long way to go before it is ready for routine clinical implementation. But once the remaining technical challenges have been overcome, advocates for CT colonography screening will have a far stronger case, according to speakers at the Computer Assisted Radiology and Surgery meeting in June.

The fusion of anatomic and functional data in PET/CT scans has received an enthusiastic welcome from both radiologists and nuclear medicine physicians. The combination of modalities has benefited oncology in particular. The use of new radioisotopes and ligands will broaden the scope of PET/CT in diagnosis, therapy, and clinical research, according to Prof. Peter Ell, director of the Institute of Nuclear Medicine at University College London.

A computer-based expert system can diagnose Alzheimer's disease with an accuracy comparable to experienced nuclear medicine physicians, according to a study presented at the Society of Nuclear Medicine meeting in June.

Several cardiology societies have collaborated to update standards for training and utilization of cardiovascular CT and MR imaging, addressing increasingly burdensome credentialing requirements. The document applies only to cardiac applications and does not address extracardiac findings associated with cardiac imaging.

Medicare plans to reduce technical payments for cross-sectional imaging of contiguous body parts and to apply the federal physician self-referral law to diagnostic and therapeutic nuclear medicine for the first time.

One of the first studies of its kind has found integrated PET/CT to be a highly accurate method for diagnosing coronary artery disease. The combined imaging approach can help physicians decide whether to treat these patients with revascularization or proceed conservatively, according to a study in the June issue of the Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

An estimated 11.5 million echocardiography procedures were performed in 2004 at more than 3000 sites in the U.S., a 5% increase over 2002, according to a study conducted by IMV Medical Information Division.

The recently inaugurated American College of Radiology Imaging Network randomized trial comparing virtual colonoscopy with its traditional counterpart has cooled the debate about which technique is better. Participants at the annual American Roentgen Ray Society meeting in May seemed to reserve judgment pending results from the National CT Colonography Trial.

Two studies presented at the Society of Nuclear Medicine meeting in June attempted to explain the mechanisms behind two inversely related disorders: bulimia nervosa and obesity.

Changes in FDG uptake after subsequent cycles of neoadjuvant therapy can predict long-term patient survival. Researchers from the Technical University of Munich reported these findings at the Society of Nuclear Medicine meeting in June.