May 16, 2008 Culture acts as main obstacle to radiotherapy via teleradiology Douglas Page -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The experience at a Norwegian hospital suggests that psychological issues are more important than technological ones for successfully implementing a teleradiological radiotherapy network. Researchers at Norwegian Radium Hospital in Oslo recently reported lessons learned after six years of distributing radiotherapy services to…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on May 16, 2008 at 9:00pm —
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May 16, 2008 Benign mesenteric disease demands views other than axial CT Shalmali Pal -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A comprehensive CT evaluation of the abdomen requires analysis of the mesenteric vasculature above and beyond the axial plane, according to Dr. Elliot Fishman, director of diagnostic radiology and body CT at Johns Hopkins University and Hospital. He discussed some of the non-neoplastic disease states that benefit from advanced…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on May 16, 2008 at 9:00pm —
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May 16, 2008 Advanced visualization stumbles in today’s PACS environment, demo suggests John C. Hayes -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Although it offers tremendous opportunities for advances in imaging interpretation and communication with referring clinicians, advanced visualization still stumbles when it comes to workflow, according to a presentation Friday. Using skits and a simulated situation, a team presented the way it works now — with…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on May 16, 2008 at 9:00pm —
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May 15, 2008 Toshiba emphasizes protocol development at AquilionOne beta sites Greg Freiherr -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Plans are on track for Toshiba America Medical Systems to begin routine shipments by summer's end of its AquilionOne, featuring the industry's only wide area detector, spanning 320 detector rows. Johns Hopkins and Brigham and Women's Hospital have each been running one of the scanners since last October, focusing on the…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on May 15, 2008 at 10:00pm —
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May 15, 2008 Toshiba emphasizes protocol development at AquilionOne beta sites Greg Freiherr -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Plans are on track for Toshiba America Medical Systems to begin routine shipments by summer's end of its AquilionOne, featuring the industry's only wide area detector, spanning 320 detector rows. Johns Hopkins and Brigham and Women's Hospital have each been running one of the scanners since last October, focusing on the…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on May 15, 2008 at 10:00pm —
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May 15, 2008 Report from RBMA: Healthcare reform tantalizes a worried crowd Yomi Wrong -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The healthcare system is in shambles, the economy is imploding, and radiology groups across the country are suffering. What else is new? This grim recap during the opening session May 5 of the Radiology Business Management Association summit came as no shock to the 400 or so attendees who convened at the Las Vegas Convention…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on May 15, 2008 at 10:00pm —
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May 15, 2008 Philips accelerates Brilliance iCT installations Greg Freiherr -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Philips Healthcare is stepping up efforts to deliver its ultra-premium Brilliance iCT to sites around the world. Jeffrey Studenka, Philips' senior director for field marketing, told Diagnostic Imaging at the Stanford MDCT conference that the company now expects to have 50 of the 256-slice units installed by the end of 2008. This is about…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on May 15, 2008 at 10:00pm —
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May 15, 2008 Pacemaker may skip a beat during routine CT scan Shalmali Pal -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A trip through the MR scanner can wreak havoc with implantable cardiac devices such as pacemakers and defibrillators. But this kind of interference may not be limited to MR imaging, according to Cynthia McCollough, Ph.D. Her research found that x-rays can also interact with these devices, McCollough said at the 2008 Stanford International…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on May 15, 2008 at 10:00pm —
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May 15, 2008 Lung cancer therapy response calls for new thinking Shalmali Pal -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CT multitasks in the lungs, serving as a tool for cancer screening, disease diagnosis, lesion characterization, and lung cancer treatment response. In a talk at the 2008 Stanford International Symposium on Multidetector-Row CT in Las Vegas, Michael McNitt-Gray, Ph.D., posited that CT can be used more effectively to assess treatment…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on May 15, 2008 at 10:00pm —
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May 15, 2008 Compression changes notable in images may not affect diagnosis John C. Hayes -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Changes in images introduced by compression algorithms at levels as low as 8:1 can be observed by readers when they are compared with uncompressed images, according to a research report presented at the Society of Imaging Informatics in Medicine conference Thursday. But researchers were unable to say what impact compression…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on May 15, 2008 at 10:00pm —
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May 14, 2008 Oral fluids may dilute contrast reaction risk in patients with kidney disorders Shalmali Pal -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Logistical and reimbursement limitations dictate that most CT exams be performed on an outpatient basis, making it difficult to manage contrast-related reactions, especially in patients with renal insufficiency. Oral hydration may be as effective as intravenous fluids for preventing contrast-induced nephropathy…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on May 14, 2008 at 11:00pm —
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May 14, 2008 Multiframe algorithm addresses image integrity Douglas Page -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Most schemes that address medical image integrity and authenticity deal only with single frame images and lack satisfactory solutions for multiframe modalities. Recent work in Brazil achieves viable integrity of n-frame medical images, such as x-ray angiography or intravascular ultrasound. "We offer a way for the physician to know whether the…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on May 14, 2008 at 10:30pm —
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May 14, 2008 MRI predicts prostate cancer prognosis H. A. Abella -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Researchers in San Francisco have found that MR imaging can accurately predict recurrence and development of metastatic disease in patients who are about to undergo radiation therapy for prostate cancer. Study findings suggest a stronger role for MRI in the management of the condition. Nearly 200,000 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed in…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on May 14, 2008 at 10:30pm —
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May 14, 2008 Morphology sorts out benign and malignant lesions in pancreas Shalmali Pal -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cystic lesions of the pancreas tend to be a phenomenon of aging. By and large, these lesions are benign, but sorting out the small number that have potential for malignancy is important. Dr. R. Brooke Jeffrey, chief of abdominal imaging at Stanford University, shared his approach to incidental small pancreatic cystic lesions at…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on May 14, 2008 at 10:30pm —
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May 14, 2008 FDA eases black box restrictions for ultrasound contrast media James Brice -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The FDA has eased off on stringent black box warnings that greatly restricted use in the U.S. of microbubble ultrasound media during echocardiography. An online edition of the Wall Street Journal reported May 13 that the FDA had lowered a ban against the use of Definity, formerly sold by Bristol-Myers Squibb, and Optison, a…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on May 14, 2008 at 10:30pm —
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May 14, 2008 FDA clears GE’s new CT scanner Greg Freiherr -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As the exhibit floor at the Stanford International Symposium on Multidetector-Row CT was ready to open May 13, GE booth managers strategically placed signs announcing the FDA clearance of its new LightSpeed CT750 HD atop displays of the scanner's components. Word of the FDA decision arrived just the day before the floor opened. Regulators approved all claims…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on May 14, 2008 at 10:30pm —
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May 14, 2008 Dual-energy CT catches subtleties of pancreatic masses Shalmali Pal -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Faster and better visualization are the main reasons to use dual-energy CT for the assessment of pancreatic masses, according to a presentation at the Stanford International Symposium on Multidetector-Row CT in Las Vegas. Dr. Anno Graser, currently a fellow in the radiology department at New York University Medical Center, outlined the…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on May 14, 2008 at 10:30pm —
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May 14, 2008 Siemens showcases dual energy software, applications Greg Freiherr -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Siemens Healthcare cast its dual-source CT scanner Somatom Definition as the clinical pioneer of multienergy scanning, presenting its Optimum Contrast software as the means for improving dual-energy images created using injected contrast agents. Image optimization algorithms process data obtained at different energy levels — 80 kVp to…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on May 14, 2008 at 9:30pm —
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May 13, 2008 Will an mGy (milligray) a day keep the doctor away? Shalmali Pal -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- When it comes to radiation dose, the news media, and the general public by extension, zero in one aspect only: risk, risk, and more risk. But what about any potential positive effects of exposure to ionizing radiation? In a talk at the Stanford MDCT symposium in Las Vegas, Cynthia McCollough, Ph.D., took on the task of scientifically…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on May 13, 2008 at 9:30pm —
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May 13, 2008 Ultrasound could precede CT in acute appendicitis diagnosis H. A. Abella -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Color Doppler sonography should be the first imaging modality for triage of adult patients with suspected acute appendicitis, according to a study from Israel. Findings suggest CT should complement the examination, and only in selected cases. Acute appendicitis is a common finding in emergency rooms worldwide that indicates urgent…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on May 13, 2008 at 9:30pm —
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