Paula Gould

The production of molybdenum-99 at the High Flux Reactor in Petten, the Netherlands, may begin again in February, signaling the end to a five-month shortage of medical isotopes essential for nuclear imaging at medical facilities throughout Europe.

The production of molybdenum-99 at the High Flux Reactor in Petten, the Netherlands, is unlikely to restart in February 2009 as had been planned, according to the facility’s operators, the Nuclear Research and Consultancy Group.

Agent-specific imaging techniques help reduce artifacts and realize potential of microbubble agents for macro- and microvasculature assessment

Clinical acceptance of novel breast imaging techniques could hinge on concurrent development of appropriate computer-assisted detection packages, according to speakers at CARS.

Despite the increasing availability of commercial computer-assisted detection packages for breast screening, the technology remains unproven in the screening setting, according to a leading U.K. breast radiologist. Prof. Fiona Gilbert, a professor of radiology at the University of Aberdeen, is calling for a Europe-wide randomized control trial to prove the case for CAD as a second reader.

Few radiologists would disagree that computer-assisted detection in the colon has a long way to go before it is ready for routine clinical implementation. But once the remaining technical challenges have been overcome, advocates for CT colonography screening will have a far stronger case, speakers said Friday.

Clinical acceptance of novel breast imaging techniques could hinge on concurrent development of appropriate computer-assisted detection packages, according to speakers at CARS.

A U.K. multicenter study has shown that a combination of MRI and mammography offers the best way of detecting breast cancer in women with a high genetic risk of the disease. The results add more weight to arguments for routine breast MRI for women carrying BRCA mutations and possibly for omitting mammography altogether

A 1979 report, A network of medical workstations for integrated work and picture communication for clinical medicine, is recognized today as one of the first publications to describe the concept of PACS. Given the significance of PACS in modern radiological workflow, the authors of this seminal work might be expected to take pride in their prescience.

Multinational corporations may be sewing up the modality market, but when it comes to radiological software, a more community-oriented approach to product development is holding its own in Europe.

A small but growing number of European hospitals and clinics are outsourcing reporting work to external organizations. In the absence of European teleradiology guidelines, such centralized services must demonstrate watertight quality-assurance procedures, particularly when operating across national borders.

The steady rise in imaging data produced in radiology departments shows no sign of slowing, thanks to advances in scanner hardware and increasing patient throughput. Thinking ahead for expected growth has become more important than ever when planning a PACS implementation.

Multisite PACS/RIS/HIS linkage among a group of London hospitals has increased radiological reporting efficiency considerably. But realizing these gains has required much more than simply integrating the software.

Stand-alone software has become an anachronism in a modern-day hospital. Radiology departments across Europe are seeking seamless RIS-PACS integration as a minimum requirement for new digital data management software. The move to RIS-PACS packages is expected to aid imaging workflow while providing a stepping-stone to complete information integration within hospitals, health authorities, and wider regions.

Countries in central and eastern Europe are widely regarded as ripe for investment in healthcare IT. Provision of such services, however, depends on an adequate telecommunications infrastructure. Proposals for hospitals to hook up to high-speed interuniversity cabling may provide the answer.

The steady rise in imaging data produced in radiology departments shows no sign of slowing, thanks to advances in scanner hardware and increasing patient throughput. Thinking ahead for expected growth has become more important than ever when planning a PACS implementation.