By John C. Hayes

The first of what could become thousands of Internet-based, peer-reviewed radiology case reports were previewed at an award-winning infoRAD presentation.

Operated under the auspices of the European Association of Radiology, the project may be the first to apply peer-review discipline to an Internet-based case study database. Using the database (www.eurorad.org), radiologists around the world can look for common imaging features to confirm a diagnosis.

Unlike print journals, which usually carry only unusual case studies, the EuroRad database is intended to portray common imaging findings, said Dr. Robert Sigal, project director and chief of radiology at the Institute Gustave Roussy near Paris. This will make it a valuable resource for students and practicing radiologists alike, he said.

The process, from submission through review and "publication," is handled entirely through the Internet with Web-based browsers. The peer-review process is supervised by Dr. Albert Baert, editor in chief of European Radiology, and conducted by 14 subspecialist editors. Case studies can include up to 16 images, but more commonly have five or six, Sigal said.

The database can be searched by level of expertise, topic area, and imaging findings. It is published in English, although the French Radiology Society plans a translation, Sigal said.

The database has been in operation for three months and has more than 100 cases, he said. The group hopes to have several thousand cases by the time of the European Congress of Radiology in March.

The demonstration was awarded a cum laude award at the infoRAD exhibit.