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June 2008 Blog Posts (74)

CT-detected incidental adrenal masses prove to be mostly benign

June 4, 2008 CT-detected incidental adrenal masses prove to be mostly benign H. A. Abella -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A study of nearly 1000 patients with incidental adrenal tumors detected during abdominal CT scans has found that these lesions are almost always benign, according to Brown University researchers. The clinical literature notes that incidental lesions of the adrenal gland appear in about 5% of all CT exams performed. Researchers… Continue

Added by Diagnostic Imaging on June 4, 2008 at 9:00pm — No Comments

Benefits of abdominal CT in the ER outweigh risks

June 4, 2008 Diagnostic Imaging. Benefits of abdominal CT in the ER outweigh risks -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A prospective, ongoing study from Harvard University shows that CT's benefits may outweigh the risks of overutilization, at least for triaging abdominal pain. Radiologist Dr. Rathachai Kaewlai and colleagues at Massachusetts General Hospital asked ER physicians questions about the top diagnosis, their level of confidence regarding… Continue

Added by Diagnostic Imaging on June 4, 2008 at 9:00pm — No Comments

Role gadolinium plays in NSF incidence remains unclear

June 3, 2008 Diagnostic Imaging. Role gadolinium plays in NSF incidence remains unclear Evidence of effects of macrocyclic versus linear chelates and free versus bound elements lacks strength to provide proof of connection -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The controversial topic of nephrogenic systemic fibrosis featured prominently in this year's European Congress of Radiology program. This scleroderma-like disorder has been linked to the… Continue

Added by Diagnostic Imaging on June 3, 2008 at 10:00pm — No Comments

PIB-PET offers early proof of Alzheimer's disease onset

June 3, 2008 Diagnostic Imaging. PIB-PET offers early proof of Alzheimer's disease onset -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Groundbreaking research has confirmed that Pittsburgh Compound B binds to the beta-amyloid deposits in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease. The finding is a major step toward an early, definitive diagnosis of the memory-stealing condition. "As excited as researchers get, we are pretty excited," said senior author… Continue

Added by Diagnostic Imaging on June 3, 2008 at 10:00pm — No Comments

PET tops CT for malignant lung nodule characterization

June 3, 2008 Diagnostic Imaging. PET tops CT for malignant lung nodule characterization -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A large multicenter trial rates FDG-PET as more reliable than CT for the detection of malignant solitary pulmonary nodules. Findings suggest, however, that a combined, rather than single, modality approach may lead to earlier treatment and help avoid invasive procedures. From January 1999 to June 2001, lead investigator Dr.… Continue

Added by Diagnostic Imaging on June 3, 2008 at 10:00pm — No Comments

Obesity impairs accuracy of obstetric sonography

June 3, 2008 Diagnostic Imaging. Obesity impairs accuracy of obstetric sonography -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pregnant women who are overweight or obese are at least 10 times more likely than women of normal weight to have their fetal ultrasound screening recalled due to poor results, according to Canadian researchers. Dr. Phyllis Glanc and colleagues at the University of Toronto assessed 100 women with a body mass index >30 who underwent… Continue

Added by Diagnostic Imaging on June 3, 2008 at 10:00pm — No Comments

NSF discovery process may expose lax record-keeping

June 3, 2008 Diagnostic Imaging. NSF discovery process may expose lax record-keeping -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A casual attitude toward keeping track of gadolinium-enhanced studies may come back to haunt radiology departments that become involved in several federal lawsuits alleging a connection between cases of nephrogenic systemic fibrosis and gadolinium-based MR contrast agents. In a 2007 study that examined allergic reactions to… Continue

Added by Diagnostic Imaging on June 3, 2008 at 10:00pm — No Comments

Myocardial perfusion CT closes in on cardiac fMRI

June 3, 2008 Diagnostic Imaging. Myocardial perfusion CT closes in on cardiac fMRI MRI still generates better contrast and less noise than perfusion CT on delayed enhancement images -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- With piles of accumulated evidence demonstrating the ability of multislice CT to diagnose coronary artery disease, researchers are expanding clinical application of the modality to the measurement of myocardial viability following… Continue

Added by Diagnostic Imaging on June 3, 2008 at 10:00pm — No Comments

MRS links fibromyalgia pain to changes in brain molecule

June 3, 2008 Diagnostic Imaging. MRS links fibromyalgia pain to changes in brain molecule -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A new study from the University of Michigan featuring proton MR spectroscopy has found a key linkage between the widespread muscle pain, tenderness, and fatigue associated with fibromyalgia and brain glutamate. Findings could lead to new drugs to treat the condition, researchers said. Dr. Daniel J. Clauw, director of the UM… Continue

Added by Diagnostic Imaging on June 3, 2008 at 10:00pm — No Comments

Isotope supply crash drives push for new moly sources

June 3, 2008 Diagnostic Imaging. Isotope supply crash drives push for new moly sources Political bickering, engineering incompetence, and benign neglect make a mess of North American medical isotope supply system James Brice -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Knowledgeable Canadians considered the molybdenum-99 crisis of 2007 a national disgrace. A squabble between the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission and Atomic Energy Canada, the federal… Continue