February 7, 2008 Diagnostic Imaging. New technologies put the squeeze on us rads Generalists out, rubber stampers in, hours expand, contract—what else is new at RSNA? Bradley M. Tipler, M.D. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- My goals and objectives while attending the annual RSNA meeting have evolved over the years. I used to cram my daily schedule with refresher courses and scientific paper sessions. In recent years, I've found it much more…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on February 7, 2008 at 8:30pm —
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February 7, 2008 Diagnostic Imaging. MRI scouts novel approach to urinary incontinence Imaging allows surgeons to successfully discern anatomy of pelvic diaphragm and viscera, avoiding complications By Stanton M. Regan, and Christopher P. Steidle, M.D. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MR imaging is helping radiologists and surgeons plan and monitor a novel surgical procedure developed to treat stress urinary incontinence. The transobturator tape…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on February 7, 2008 at 7:30pm —
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February 7, 2008 Diagnostic Imaging. Medicare imaging costs skyrocket, draw scrutiny James Brice ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cardiac CT will propel self-referred utilization up as other nonradiology specialists see modest growth The explosive growth of Medicare outpatient imaging from 2000 to 2005 explains why federal regulators have singled out radiologists for restraints. Medicare payments for outpatient medical imaging jumped 93% during…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on February 7, 2008 at 7:00pm —
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February 7, 2008 Diagnostic Imaging. Interventional units win over managers on value As hospitals in Europe adopt flat-rate reimbursement, administrators eye minimally invasive procedures Karen Sandrick -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Persuading cash-strapped hospitals to commit resources for a clinical interventional radiology service may seem a hard sell. But European interventional radiologists can make a strong case by concentrating on…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on February 7, 2008 at 6:30pm —
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February 7, 2008 Diagnostic Imaging. E-learning tool provides on-demand PACS training Method offers tutorial for docs unable to spend much Douglas Page -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Belgian researchers have designed a user-centered e-learning system that incorporates a psychological technique called cognitive load theory to provide on-demand in-depth knowledge of PACS for end-user physicians. Training referring physicians to handle digital…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on February 7, 2008 at 6:30pm —
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February 7, 2008 Diagnostic Imaging. Case of the Month -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CLINICAL HISTORY 52-year-old man presents with anterior chest pain. FINDINGS Figure 1 shows a left chest wall mass arising from the anterior aspect of the third left rib without evidence of extension into the lung parenchyma. A 13-mm stalk (arrow) attaches to the mass at the neck of the third rib with a soft tissue component. Within the mass, there is also…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on February 7, 2008 at 6:30pm —
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February 7, 2008 Diagnostic Imaging. Breast elastography moves closer to clinical mainstream Emily Hayes -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Judging by recent large clinical trials on two different imaging platforms, breast ultrasound elastography is moving closer to mainstream use as a means of helping prevent biopsies of benign lesions. Elastography refers to the measurement of elastic properties of tissues. On elastography images, obtained while…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on February 7, 2008 at 6:30pm —
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February 7, 2008 Diagnostic Imaging. Blood and oil find common ground at Houston gathering -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Representatives of medical imaging and petroleum industries met at the University of Houston to explore common mechanical problems associated with moving blood and oil through vessels and pipelines. The Pumps and Pipes I conference held last fall, sponsored by ExxonMobil, the Methodist DeBakey Heart Center, and the University…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on February 7, 2008 at 6:30pm —
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February 7, 2008 Diagnostic Imaging. Belief in God gets BOLD look H. A. Abella -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Using functional MRI to measure the blood oxygen level-dependent signal changes in the brain, researchers have found that a belief in God is linked with the primitive limbic system. “The data strongly suggest we do our believing with our gut. They tell us we are not simply evaluating the facts,” said lead author Mark S. Cohen, Ph.D.,…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on February 7, 2008 at 6:30pm —
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February 6, 2008 Method generates DICOM-compliant unique identifiers using Java Douglas Page -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The DICOM standard specifies that all DICOM objects have globally unique identifiers. The variety of methods in use makes it difficult, however, to generate unique identifiers that comply with DICOM constraints and still ensure global uniqueness. New research alleviates concerns regarding unique identifier (UID) generation…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on February 6, 2008 at 9:30pm —
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February 6, 2008 Diagnostic Imaging. Imagers seek clarity on pool of supplemental screening patients Breast density presents important, independent, and common risk factor for cancer, but use of follow-up MRI or ultrasound remains controversial Emily Hayes -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Imagine hundreds of thousands of women, informed by a list of potential risk factors for breast cancer, knocking on radiologists’ doors, demanding another…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on February 6, 2008 at 9:30pm —
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February 6, 2008 Diagnostic Imaging. High-intensity ultrasound helps curb prostate -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ablation using high-intensity focused ultrasound can effectively control some types of localized prostate cancer for five years or longer, according to a study by German researchers. Dr. Andreas Blana and colleagues at the University of Regensburg's St. Josef Hospital evaluated results from 140 patients with early or intermediate…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on February 6, 2008 at 9:30pm —
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February 6, 2008 Diffusion tensor imaging may detect early impairment from mild traumatic brain injury Don Rauf -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- U.S. soldiers returning from Iraq with mild traumatic brain injuries may benefit from preliminary research suggesting that diffusion tensor imaging can identify patients most likely to face long-term cognitive and behavior problems. Mild traumatic brain injury is an important health concern for returning…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on February 6, 2008 at 9:30pm —
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February 6, 2008 Diagnostic Imaging. CTA improves, complicates management of PE -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Researchers in Canada and the U.S. have found CT angiography to be as safe and accurate as ventilation/perfusion lung scans for ruling out pulmonary emboli. Results from what may be the first study of its kind suggest, however, that CTA could also spot many clinically irrelevant thrombi. Dr. David R. Anderson and colleagues at one U.S.…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on February 6, 2008 at 9:30pm —
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February 6, 2008 Diagnostic Imaging. Advanced stroke imaging leads to new management challenges Controversies abound in CT and MR use for triage and management of acute stroke patients, but both usher in new era in clinical care H.A. Abella -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The patient was a married engineer and father of three. He presented to the emergency room with a global arterial circulation deficit, aphasia, and hemiplegia. An earlier…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on February 6, 2008 at 9:00pm —
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February 6, 2008 Diagnostic Imaging. Short-sighted coverage rules pose serious threat to coronary CT angio John C. Hayes, Editor -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If ever suspicion arose that the way the government regulates medicine is on a dangerous track, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is on the verge of erasing any doubt with a decision that could severely curb or halt the development of coronary CT angiography. As we've…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on February 6, 2008 at 6:00pm —
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February 6, 2008 Diagnostic Imaging. Radiology's triumphs and travails serve as grist James Brice -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As director of Diagnostic Imaging's online daily news service, I find nothing drives me crazier than a slow news day. It is our mission to make DiagnosticImaging.com an integral part of the day for everyone involved with the practice and business of radiology. Attracting your attention means posting ever-changing news,…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on February 6, 2008 at 6:00pm —
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February 6, 2008 Diagnostic Imaging. New technologies put the squeeze on us rads Generalists out, rubber stampers in, hours expand, contract—what else is new at RSNA? Bradley M. Tipler, M.D. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- My goals and objectives while attending the annual RSNA meeting have evolved over the years. I used to cram my daily schedule with refresher courses and scientific paper sessions. In recent years, I've found it much more…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on February 6, 2008 at 6:00pm —
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February 5, 2008 RFA of chondroblastomas offers efficacious alternative to surgery H. A. Abella -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Evidence from the largest study of its kind to date suggests that percutaneous CT-guided radiofrequency ablation is a safe and effective alternative to open surgery in selected cases of chondroblastomas, according to New York University researchers. Chondroblastomas are benign but painful tumors affecting the epiphyses…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on February 5, 2008 at 6:00pm —
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February 4, 2008 High-quality ultrasound demonstrates measureable effect in ovarian cancer management Wendy Despain -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. Previous studies showed that ultrasound operator expertise is…
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Added by Diagnostic Imaging on February 4, 2008 at 6:00pm —
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