Ultrasound

Ultrasound exams conducted by expert sonographers make a measurable difference over routine exams in the treatment of suspected ovarian cancer, decreasing the number of major staging procedures and reducing in-patient hospital stays.

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Lung ultrasound exams reliably detect respiratory distress syndrome in premature neonates and could be used as a radiation-free method for diagnosis and guidance for treatment.

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Despite ACRIN 6666 trial results, sonography could still play a role in supplemental screening of high-risk women

Study comparing residents' to attending physicians' reports identifies areas of weakness

Partnership of public and private sectors and academia, resembling coalition built around breast imaging, may bring about 'manogram'

Ultrasound-guided therapy helps heal Achilles tendinosis

MR elastography proves edge in liver fibrosis staging

Good communication between radiologists, surgeons helps minimize mastectomy rates

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound is almost as accurate as contrast-enhanced CT for diagnosing solid organ injuries in children following blunt abdominal trauma. This less expensive option is also beneficial because it doesn't require irradiating young patients.

Ultrasound exams of patients with a history of idiopathic carpal tunnel are better diagnostic tools than the standard physical maneuvers known as Tinel’s sign and Phalen’s maneuver.

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Global demand for hand-carried ultrasound units rose 42% in 2007, according to industry analyst Harvey Klein. Total medical sales were $565 million compared to $398 million the year before.

A study by University of British Columbia researchers has found that ultrasound-guided prolotherapy can alleviate the pain of patients with chronic tendinosis of the Achilles tendon.

The massive American College of Radiology Imaging Network 6666 trial shows that adding ultrasound to the initial breast screening protocol for high-risk women could help detect 30% more cancers, but at the questionable cost of many more needless biopsies of benign lesions.

New data presented at the 2007 RSNA meeting may help ease fears that use of preoperative breast MRI will hike mastectomy rates and cause delays in time to surgery.

Prostate cancer imaging experts sent out a clear message in 2007: Prostate cancer in the U.S. has become an unrecognized patient care crisis that needs tackling. The good news is these experts agree that advanced imaging technologies could help in early detection and minimally invasive treatment. The lack of a cohesive national strategy is worrisome, however, and they want to see the adoption of a broad initiative for diagnosing and treating prostate cancer similar to that for breast cancer.

Researchers in Belgium have found that MR elastography is more accurate than a blood test commonly used in the noninvasive staging of liver fibrosis. The study adds weight to clinical literature that suggests MR elastography could replace biopsy.

Plans for a clinical trial designed to overcome long-standing regulatory obstacles to the general clinical use of ultrasound contrast media in the U.S. have been knocked off track by an FDA-mandated black box safety warning for two microbubble agents approved for echocardiography.

Researchers used a customized search engine to quickly find that most discordant resident versus attending physician preliminary reports involved fractures, liver/kidney lesions, pulmonary nodules, and gastrointestinal wall thickening.

A large prospective screening trial from the University of Pennsylvania compared screen-film mammography, digital mammography, whole-breast ultrasound, and contrast-enhanced MRI in a population of 569 asymptomatic women. In this single-center trial, funded by the National Cancer Institute, the definition of high risk included women with a 25% lifetime risk based on genetic testing or Gail or Claus models and those with a history of cancer in the contralateral breast.

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A high-energy form of ultrasound produces images of liver tumors that are more conspicuous than those from traditional ultrasound, according to results of a clinical study.

Three-D ultrasound examination shows the location, size, and perivesical spreading of bladder tumors just as well as conventional cystoscopy. The technique has the advantage of being noninvasive.

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GE Healthcare this week introduced two tailored, highly portable ultrasound systems, one for emergency medicine, the other for anesthesia. Although these systems are narrowly focused in the clinical sense, they reflect a multifaceted corporate approach to ultrasound that leverages different technologies to achieve specific goals.

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Siemens Medical Solutions’ new S-2000 scanner, introduced at the RSNA meeting, is a new breed of ultrasound system and the first in the company’s newly minted “S” or “superior” class of scanners.

The worldwide market for compact ultrasound scanners is expected to grow 36% in 2007, according to Harvey Klein, ultrasound industry analyst and president of Klein Biomedical Consultants. GE reports that global revenue from the sale of compact ultrasound systems grew to $175 million in the third quarter, a 65% gain over the year-earlier period.