MDCT emerges as alternative to EBCT in noninvasive coronary imaging
March 8th 2004Steady but significant changes are occurring in how coronary calcification is imaged. Consensus is growing among researchers that the results of multidetector CT compare well with those of the gold standard, electron-beam CT, although they emphasise that
Whole-body MR shows clinical promise, but not for screening
March 7th 2004Whole-body MR imaging is a powerful clinical tool with wide-ranging clinical applications, both oncologic and nononcologic. It has the potential to dramatically alter the practice of radiology, according to Dr. Stephen Eustace, a radiologist from the
Agfa plans new miniPACS for private practices
March 7th 2004A new miniPACS for the private-practice, nonhospital environment is under development by Agfa and could be introduced before the end of the year, a company representative said at the ECR on Sunday. The system is designed as a scalable, entry-level
MRA tops ultrasound in lower limb bypass follow-up
March 7th 2004MR angiography should be employed much earlier in the postoperative follow-up of severely ill patients with complex revascularization of cruropedal circulation, according to a German researcher during a Saturday scientific session at the European
CAD adds clarity to pulmonary embolism diagnosis
March 7th 2004One examination that frequently gives rise to internal discussions in our department is CT of the chest to detect pulmonary emboli. Apart from the fact that patients who needed a ventilation/perfusion scan had to be transported to another hospital site,
SPAMM-tagging MR sequence assesses endovascular repair
March 7th 2004A cine phase-contrast MR sequence coupled with a spatial magnetization modulation sequence is proving to be a potent combination for evaluating aortic endoleaks, according to Stanford University researchers.Spatial magnetization modulation, or
Diffusion tensor imaging can be used to indirectly assess brain microstructure
March 7th 2004Diffusion tensor imaging is a relative newcomer in MR imaging. The ability to measure the molecular movement of water within cellular structures was first described less than 20 years ago. Despite problems in the selection of appropriate imaging
MRS quantifies muscle metabolism in athletes
March 6th 2004MR spectroscopy can be used to assess the metabolic status of elite athletes' muscle fibers. This type of metabolic information might be useful for assessing training conditions or revealing individual predispositions to particular types of muscular
IRs pair with radiotherapists to deliver chemotherapy
March 6th 2004Interventional radiologists in the Netherlands are part of a comprehensive oncologic team that treats certain head and neck cancers with an intra-arterial chemotherapy protocol, according to a refresher course presentation on Saturday at the
Large dose reductions possible in calcium scoring
March 6th 2004Dose exposures during CT calcium scoring procedures can be reduced substantially without sacrificing scoring accuracy, according to studies presented Saturday by German and U.S. researchers. Using both phantom and human subjects and three separate
Implementing PACS requires careful planning but brings long-term rewards
March 6th 2004Healthcare managers have consistently underestimated the impact of a PACS on a hospital radiology department. These installations not only change the technology the medical staff uses but also have a fundamental effect on the working culture. They
BOLD MRI measures calf muscle ischemia
March 6th 2004Historically, BOLD MR imaging has been used for neurologic purposes. But Swiss researchers have found that oxygenation levels in calf muscle measured by functional MRI correspond to transcutaneous measurement of tissue oxygen tension.There have been a
MR and CT draw even in imaging liver malignancies
March 6th 2004Researchers gave MR and CT a split verdict in their relative abilities to image liver malignances during a scientific session Saturday. A team from Heidleberg University said MR arterioportography had a higher sensitivity and specificity than CT
Philips takes speech recognition to eastern Europe
March 6th 2004Philips Speech Processing is continuing to broaden its portfolio of languages. The addition of Hungarian. marks the first step into Eastern Europe for native-language speech recognition.Radiologists have had a chance to test the Hungarian Radiology
External landmarking tool lets imagers fuse PET, SPECT, MR, CT
March 6th 2004Obtaining cleanly fused cerebral PET and CT images no longer requires a multimillion-dollar hybrid scanner. Austrian researchers have developed an external frame that can facilitate fusion of those modalities and also MR or SPECT. Researchers from the
Dynamic MRI differentiates rheumatoid from psoriatic arthritis
March 6th 2004Dynamic gadolinium-enhanced MR imaging can discriminate between patients with rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis during the acute phase of the disease, according to research presented Friday at the ECR.Dr. Simone Banderali and colleagues from
Ultrasound vendors entice potential purchasers with latest
March 5th 2004Ultrasound operators who experience injuries caused by repetitive movements in the workplace may be the first in line to view Philips' new iU22 system, which is being launched globally at the ECR."We believe it's the most significant ultrasound
Training matters most with digital mammography
March 5th 2004Digital mammography's replacement of screen-film has become inevitable now that head-to-head comparisons of the systems are showing little difference in performance. The sticking point now lies with the radiologists reading soft-copy mammograms, not with
Northwestern Memorial's Timothy Zoph Named the CHIME-HIMSS John E. Gall CIO of the Year
February 26th 2004CHICAGO, Feb. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Timothy R. Zoph, vice president, Information Services and chief information officer (CIO) at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, was recently named the 2003 John E. Gall CIO of the Year. The award was presented jointly by
Patient safety, terror protection top HIMSS topics
February 26th 2004The specter of bioterrorism is haunting major medical meetings. One session this week provided a glimpse of initiatives under way by the HIMSS National Preparedness Response Task Force. Another explained how the Health Resources and Services