RSNA

Overall unaudited attendance at the 2008 Radiological Society of North America was down compared with last year, according to Thursday’s figures. But exhibitor registration took the hardest hit.

As percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and stent placement replaces bypass surgery in the treatment of peripheral arterial disease, cardiologists and surgeons now are performing far more of the procedures than radiologists, according to research presented Thursday at the RSNA meeting.

Siemens Healthcare unveiled a breast ultrasound system at RSNA 2008 whose automated exams could help women’s health practitioners achieve the potential of ultrasound as a complement to mammography.

Siemens underscored its commitment to women’s health with its introduction at RSNA 2008 of Espree Pink, a 1.5T scanner dedicated to breast imaging.

Breaking with its past dependence on phosphor-based computed radiography plates, Fujifilm featured a flat-panel digital radiography system at the RSNA 2008 meeting.

Discovery PET/CT 600 debuted at the RSNA meeting, taking a midtier position in GE Healthcare’s family of hybrid devices.

Flat-panel detectors designed to be pulled from one bucky and put into another -- or simply set upright or laid flat on patient tables -- redefined general radiography suites featured on the RSNA exhibit floor this year. They came from suppliers such as Trixell, Varian, and Canon. Some were wireless. Others bore cables with easy disconnects for quick relocation.

An intuitive interface, faster PC server, and work-in-progress detector panel enhance the Infinix VF-i/BP (biplane) Vascular X-ray at the Toshiba America Medical Systems booth at RSNA 2008.

A low-cost 16-slice scanner designed for cost-constrained customers debuted at the Philips booth during the RSNA meeting.

Expanding its portfolio in digital radiography, GE Healthcare introduced at RSNA 2008 a new high-end DR product, Discovery XR650, and midtier unit, Optima XR640.

GE Healthcare combined ultrasound scanner controls and real-time imaging on a single display with the integration of a touchscreen monitor into its compact Logiq e product.

Centricity PACS Version 3.0.6 debuted at the GE Healthcare booth of RSNA 2008 offering enhancements aimed at improving collaboration between radiologists and referring physicians.

Carestream Health’s new portable x-ray detector, showcased at the RSNA meeting and scheduled for routine shipments in 2009, promises the means for film-dependent radiography sites to transition to digital. Designed to fit into a standard bucky, either table- or wall-mounted, Carestream’s DRX-1 offers the flexibility of computed radiography. Its solid-state design allows immediate data acquisitions and its wireless transmitter sends the data directly to the console.

In the aftermath of Medicare’s less than encouraging evaluation of virtual CT colonography for colorectal cancer screening, Dr. Elizabeth McFarland used the RSNA’s Annual Oration in Diagnostic Radiology to identify past achievements and ongoing initiatives she believes will lead to the modality’s acceptance.

Low-dose PET/CT demonstrates the best sensitivity and specificity for initial staging of lymphoma, according to a study presented on Thursday at the RSNA meeting.

An add-on digital stereotaxy option for GE’s Senographe Essential lets users perform biopsies on its full-field digital mammography system, sparing institutions the expense of setting up a dedicated biopsy room, according to the company.

Computer-aided detection systems show high potential for detecting inconspicuous colonic polyps but provide little help in locating nonpolypoid colorectal lesions, according to research presented Wednesday at the RSNA meeting.

Stressed out at the workstation? You’re not alone. A survey presented at a scientific session Wednesday found relatively high levels of stress across a broad spectrum of radiologists.

Ever greater competitive pressures on our sports stars of the future risk jeopardizing their health, but imaging is playing an increasingly important role in the early and accurate detection of potential musculoskeletal problems.

Increased use of CT for pneumonia is unlikely to be the sole cause of increased hospital costs at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, according to a study presented Dec. 5 at RSNA

In the aftermath of Medicare’s less than encouraging evaluation of virtual CT colonography for colorectal cancer screening, Dr. Elizabeth McFarland used the RSNA’s Annual Oration in Diagnostic Radiology to identify past achievements and ongoing initiatives she believes will lead to the modality’s acceptance.

Breast-specific gamma imaging demonstrates better specificity and sensitivity than mammography, ultrasound, and MRI, according to several studies presented at the RSNA meeting.

In response to demands for evidence that cardiac CT will positively affect patient outcomes, researchers presented results at the RSNA conference Wednesday attesting to its value for identifying which intermediate risk patients are most likely to suffer future catastrophic coronary events.

Automated breast ultrasound should not replace handheld ultrasound in a diagnostic breast center but rather should be used in conjunction with it or play a role in screening breast ultrasound, according to a study presented at the 2008 RSNA meeting.

An IT architecture that links multivendor, multisite PACS into an efficient enterprise network debuted at RSNA 2008 in the Carestream Health booth. Carestream framed the architecture as “the first-ever SuperPACS” that streamlines workflow among sites using disparate PACS by sharing patient images and information, while providing a global work list that spans the various PACS to balance exam reading among onsite and offsite radiologists.

GE Healthcare debuted at RSNA 2008 a recently FDA-approved molecular imaging agent that homes in on rare neuroendocrine tumors. The new agent, technically known as Iobenguane I 123 Injection, was approved earlier this year for use in diagnosis and during follow-up of patients with these tumors, if relapse or recurrence is suspected, according to GE, which began shipping the product in late October.

Philips Healthcare showcased at RSNA 2008 a hybrid SPECT/CT that incorporates a flat-panel x-ray system in place of a standard multislice CT. The FDA-cleared scanner, BrightView XCT, which debuted at the Society of Nuclear Medicine meeting in New Orleans, is built around the BrightView SPECT that Philips released commercially last year.

The latest development in ultrasound from GE Healthcare, its Logiq E9, promises to tap the modality’s true diagnostic potential while exceeding that of ultrasound alone to provide interventional guidance. The ability to merge data from CT and other modalities into a live ultrasound scan distinguishes this new scanner, which began commercial deliveries in September.

CT colonography can screen for both colorectal cancer and osteoporosis reliably at minimal additional cost and time, according to a study presented Tuesday at the RSNA meeting.