Korean researchers have stressed that greater awareness of health problems related to use of video display terminals and their prevention is essential in the modern PACS workplace.

Local Medicare carriers in all 50 states have published guidelines for outpatient coverage of coronary CT angiography. Despite a model local coverage determination developed with the help of radiology societies and organizations, local payers have opted to craft their coverage rules in a way that has resulted in widely varying technology requirements and indications.

When I started in radiology, near the end of the Jurassic Period, musculoskeletal radiology did not exist. Skeletal radiology was a popular field, but we had no way to image musculos. Like everything in radiology, this subspecialty has been changed by CT and MRI.

Whole-body MRI should now be regarded as the test of choice for staging skeletal metastatic disease, and not the traditional bone scan. A head-to-toe MRI exam is more sensitive than scintigraphy for detecting bony metastases, and provides additional diagnostic information, according to Dr. Stephen Eustace, a professor of musculoskeletal radiology at Cappagh National Orthopaedic and Mater Misericordiae Hospitals in Dublin.

The specter of lung cancer hangs over a generation who grew up in homes where ashtrays were as common as shag carpeting. Those youngsters, now entering their 50s and 60s, may have smoked and may have quit, but the risk of cancer remains.

Several groundbreaking trends in the subspecialty fields of musculoskeletal imaging and intervention surfaced at the RSNA meeting. Research presented suggests that conditions traditionally managed by surgeons are increasingly coming under radiologist control.

MRI will continue to evolve and will remain the dominant imaging technology in medicine, according to a leading world expert on the modality.

Urinary bladder carcinoma is the second most common malignant tumor in the urogenital tract. This cancer causes 5000 deaths each year in Germany and 10,400 in the U.S., affecting men more often than women.

With popular actresses Sally Field and Andie MacDowell looking on, Dr. Etta Pisano picked up a Ladies Home Journal Health Breakthrough award last year, in recognition of her work in promoting better screening for breast cancer.

Toshiba unveils Virtual Explorer at ACCAgfa releases nuc cardiology ITGE releases cardiac workstationToshiba showcases echo packageAgfa wins German IT contractCoActiv recruits new regional sales manager

3D ultrasound innovator allies with SiemensToshiba showcases vascular systemSiemens upgrades Acuson SequoiaPhilips and Volcano mesh cath lab products

Several weeks of clinical tests at Johns Hopkins Medicine have confirmed expectations for Toshiba’s 256-slice CT, establishing the prototype’s ability to measure subtle changes in blood flow and minute blockages in the heart and brain.

The Deficit Reduction Act may have a short-term impact on purchases by imaging centers, but tightening reimbursements may, over the long haul, be promising for technologies that improve productivity. Merge Healthcare’s president and CEO Ken Rardin is banking on it, as the company prepares for next month’s rollout of Fusion MX, the latest version of its PACS/RIS, followed by a marketing blitz aimed at convincing prospects that PACS/RIS is the way to go.

Outsourcing group wins Varian contractNordion plans expansionPET assists in phase 1 drug trialCarestream Health unveils logoBoston Scientific notches milestone

Men are more likely than women to benefit from the use of tissue plasminogen activator within three hours after stroke, according to a study published in the March 13 issue of Neurology.

A backlog in the PACS queue that results from too many simultaneous study requests has implications beyond slow image delivery. A recent paper demonstrated the feasibility of a PACS Queue Manager algorithm to monitor PACS performance under peak loads.

Siemens expands biomarker ventureOncology PACS enters service in GermanyMR-compatible ventilator clears FDA

Toshiba and Siemens each rolled out a new CT at the European Congress of Radiology last week. Both launches are designed to target stragglers in the marketplace still operating outdated single-, dual- and quadslice systems.

If patients suffering from malignant disease are to get the right treatment and an accurate prognosis, accurate assessment of metastases is crucial. Whole-body MR is a good tool that can play a supporting role for detection of metastases, but it is not as reliable as gold standard PET/CT, according to research presented at the European Congress of Radiology.

Trixell, a supplier of flat-panel detectors for OEMs making digital x-ray equipment, plans to boost its manufacturing capacity 40% by the end of this year. The planned increase was prompted by rising demand for Trixell’s existing flat panels, as well as expected demand for a radiography and fluoroscopy detector now being tested.