Diagnostic Imaging's Blog – April 2008 Archive (74)

April 1, 2008 Diagnostic Imaging. Digital radiography demand sputters as the boom busts TECHWATCH Greg Freiherr -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Digital radiography has been growing by leaps and bounds. Demand in the U.S. jumped 41% in 2004, 32% the next year, and 25% the year after that. Then, suddenly, in 2007, the market flattened. So far this year, it has shown no signs of recovering. Some vendors framed the change as reflecting an… Continue

April 1, 2008 Diagnostic Imaging. Digital imaging benefits women with dense breasts NEWSCLIPS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- An analysis of the multicenter results of the Digital Mammography Imaging Screen Trial has found that digital mammography outperforms screen-film mammography for women under 50 who have dense breasts. DMIST, sponsored by the American College of Radiology Imaging Network, enrolled 49,528 women at 33 centers in the U.S. and… Continue

April 1, 2008 Diagnostic Imaging. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Diagnostic Imaging North America April 2008 COVER STORY By: Emily Hayes Imagers hone bedside manner to court savvy consumers DEPARTMENTS Agenda By: James Brice DI challenges readers to swallow story that features pointed findings Overread Breast screening trial favors computer-aided detection Spoof Nobel Prize goes to imaging study with sharp point Cardiac MR identifies patients… Continue

April 1, 2008 Diagnostic Imaging. DI challenges readers to swallow story that features pointed findings AGENDA James Brice -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We hope one of the things that distinguishes us from other medical imaging media is our sense of fun. The practice and science of radiology can be scintillating reading (especially when it relates to nuclear medicine), but it can require intense mental concentration as well. Diagnostic Imaging… Continue

April 1, 2008 Diagnostic Imaging. Confused about BI-RADS 0? Here are guidelines to help you along Stamatia Destounis, M.D. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Is there confusion surrounding the Breast Imaging Reporting and Database System (BI-RADS) category 0 assessment? If it is used in the manner in which the American College of Radiology originally meant it to be implemented, there shouldn't be. The only time BI-RADS category 0 should be used is… Continue

April 1, 2008 Diagnostic Imaging. Cheap drug protects against contrast-induced nephropathy NEWSCLIPS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As the number of patients undergoing contrast-enhanced CT scans grows, so does the risk of contrast-induced nephropathy. How to protect patients? By asking them to pop an N-acetylcysteine (NAC) pill before the exam. Principal investigator Dr. Aine M. Kelly and colleagues at the University of Michigan Medical School… Continue

April 1, 2008 Diagnostic Imaging. Case Of The Month -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CLINICAL HISTORY 40-year-old man with HIV presents with acute onset of shortness of breath and pleuritic chest pain. FINDINGS PA chest radiograph (Figure 1) demonstrates bilateral fine reticular perihilar opacities, as well as bilateral, predominantly thin-walled, pneumatoceles. A moderate right apical pneumothorax is also evident. CT image (Figure 2) identifies… Continue

April 1, 2008 Diagnostic Imaging. Cardiovascular screening tackles disease in NFL pros NEWSCLIPS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The colossal linemen of the National Football League and large folks in general may have more in common than their size. People who weigh more than 300 pounds are more than twice as likely as a lighter person to die from a heart attack or stroke, according to a study sponsored by the Living Heart Foundation. LHF founder… Continue

April 1, 2008 Diagnostic Imaging. Cardiac MR identifies patients for valve surgery James Brice -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Oxford University researchers have established that aortic regurgitation fraction, measured with cardiac MR, accurately singles out patients who need aortic valve replacement. Patients with aortic regurgitation pose a challenge, especially when they are asymptomatic, said principal investigator Dr. Saul G. Myerson during… Continue

April 1, 2008 Diagnostic Imaging. Breast screening trial favors computer-aided detection H. A. Abella -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- An evaluation of nearly a quarter million mammograms suggests screening mammography with computer-aided detection is more sensitive than double reads. The findings contradict a 2007 study that questioned breast CAD's effectiveness. Mammographic CAD remains controversial. Radiologists argue its misuse drives up… Continue

April 1, 2008 Bone scans find pain source in cerebral palsy patients CLINICAL ADVANCES James Brice -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Whole-body technetium-99m bone scans are helping orthopedic surgeons locate the source of unexplained pain for children with cerebral palsy who cannot describe where their discomfort resides. A retrospective study published in the Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics (2008;28[1]:112-117) determined that three-phase… Continue

April 1, 2008 Diagnostic Imaging. Ask if teleradiology is your friend or your foe European Perspective Stephen Davies, MRCP, FRCR -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Teleradiology provides an intriguing snapshot of the development of radiology. Its use reflects the changing world of clinical practice, technology, and service delivery. It challenges conventional models of care and is leading to a globalization of radiology. Is this a change for better… Continue

April 1, 2008 Diagnostic Imaging. Apologizing when things go wrong could backfire Emily Hayes -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Googling the words "Sorry works" takes you to a website that exemplifies a movement for apologies and disclosure to patients, plus upfront compensation after adverse medical events. At www.sorryworks.net, physicians are advised that the medical malpractice crisis is actually a customer service issue that has been "miscast… Continue

April 1, 2008 A cardiac CT battle is won, but struggle has just begun James Brice -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Medicare's decision against a national coverage determination for cardiac CT is not the end of conflict for the modality. It is just the beginning. The next battle involves fulfilling the promises the multisociety alliance made to assure the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services that its acceptance of CCT will not turn into a… Continue