MRI

Patient comfort during MR and the efficiency of functional MR got a boost at RSNA 2008 with the unveiling by Resonance Technology of enhancements to its CinemaVision audio video systems and FuncLAB automated fMRI image data processor.

Preliminary results from American College of Radiology Imaging Network Trial 6657 show that MRI estimates residual breast cancer disease area better than clinical exams or mammography.

A new technique may help characterize diffusion anisotropy in the spinal cord in a clinical setting. Researchers have determined that using 3D single-shot diffusion-weighted stimulated echo-planar imaging in the cervical spinal cord results in higher resolution and less distortion than 2D single-shot diffusion-weighted echo-planar imaging.

Results from the largest and longest trial of its kind suggest that patients with intermediate and advanced hepatocellular carcinomas who undergo systematic treatment with three chemotherapeutic agents and arterial embolization plus imaging follow-up have better survival rates than those who undergo nonstandardized chemoembolization regimes.

The RSNA will underscore the unique achievements of Japanese imaging researchers in “Japan Presents,” a presentation of seven scientific papers focusing on diagnostic radiology. On Monday, Dec. 1, each paper will be introduced with the Japanese spin on ideas and concepts.

Themes emerging from breast imaging abstracts at the upcoming RSNA include the increased use of breast MRI, full-field digital mammography versus film-screen mammography, and more.

President-elect Barack Obama’s appointment of former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle to head the Department of Health and Human Services, combined with a commitment from insurers and a detailed plan from the chair of the powerful Senate Finance Committee, suggests strongly that healthcare reform will be a top priority for the new administration and the 111th Congress.

There is nothing like a little momentum to help the RSNA organizers present the latest developments in imaging research in the meeting’s scientific sessions. Everyone associated with imaging sciences from Beijing to New York City understands that presenting research in Chicago is an essential requirement for membership in this unique community.

Every day, I’m getting better at making tough decisions. I know this because searching the Internet stimulates the parts of my brain that control decision making and complex reasoning.

Using brain imaging and chocolate milkshakes, scientists have found that women with weakened “reward circuitry” in their brains are at increased risk of weight gain over time and potential obesity. The risk increases even more for women who also have a gene associated with compromised dopamine signaling in the brain.

An advisory legal opinion from the Department of Health and Human Services in favor of a specialized service to handle the processing of high-tech preauthorization requests for referring physicians has drawn a mixed response among legal and industry authorities.

Last week the FDA posted a recall notice on its website, notifying healthcare providers that the maker of the Nebion HLX-8 Magnetic Resonance Device had made unsupported claims. The marketing folks behind this product apparently believed it possessed quasi-magical powers.

Those of us who recognize our frailties -- the prejudices and biases that creep almost imperceptibly into our decision making -- would welcome a quantifiable means for ensuring that those decisions are best made. Last month, prosecutors successfully convinced a court in Mumbai, India, that a scan that records activity in distinct areas of the brain can be such a measure. On the basis of a “Brain Electrical Oscillations Signature” test, the court convicted and sentenced to life in prison a 24-year-old woman for murdering her fiancé.

Sonography can accurately detect the causes of stump pain in amputees, according to researchers in the U.K. Investigators say ultrasound findings could guide management, help educate patients about their condition, and allow prosthesis design customization.

Radiologists worry about surprise rate cuts and tighter tech regulation but still wield influence over IT and healthcare quality initiatives

MRI’s changing status as an instrument for breast cancer diagnosis and evaluation was apparent last month at the 2008 American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting. One study suggested that MR’s growing popularity for treatment planning may had led to more mastectomies, and another trial added to growing evidence about its ability to identify metastatic lymph nodes.

Evidence that plaque pathophysiology and not just stenosis may be responsible for cardiac and cerebrovascular disease continues to accumulate. Three-D MRI can accurately detect bleeding carotid artery walls, a potentially predictive warning of stroke, according to Canadian investigators.

The deadline for implementation of the EU Physical Agents (Electromagnetic Field) Directive was originally set as April 2008. As this deadline approached, information about the legislation's likely impact on the daily use of MRI was distributed widely.

Radiology and surgery have traditionally been quite separate disciplines, one the very essence of hands-off healthcare, the other unashamedly invasive. Advances in image-guided therapy are now blurring that distinction, according to Prof. Pablo Ros, a professor of radiology at the Hospital de Sant Pau, Autonomous University of Barcelona.

The U.S. Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission are pressuring state governments to repeal Certificate of Need laws that have lingered as a way to control healthcare costs by regulating health facility establishment, expansion, and purchase of capital equipment, such as MRI technology and CT scanners.

A Duke University study has established that unenhanced 3T MR imaging can deliver the same diagnostic accuracy as contrast-enhanced 3T MR arthrography of the shoulder, but without the associated pain, radiation, and risk of adverse contrast reactions.

A study involving the imaging histories of more than 200 children with sensorineural hearing loss recommends MRI instead of CT for identifying soft-tissue defects associated with inner ear anomalies.

Potential candidates for accelerated partial breast irradiation may benefit from pretreatment MRI to ensure no cancer is missed, according to a study conducted by Boston-based researchers.

Prostate cancer imaging proponents are advising physicians to follow recent federal recommendations against prostate cancer screening for men over the age of 75, but they say more government attention to care standards could lead to improved diagnosis and treatment.

A survey of academic radiologists’ clinical productivity shows that workload continues to increase, in both exam volume and complexity. Academic department heads could use the survey data to help set staffing levels and evaluate the performance of individual radiologists.

A recent study at the Oregon Health and Science University in Portland has confirmed that 3T MRI improves on 1.5T MRI for detecting and characterizing structural brain abnormalities in patients with focal epilepsy.

Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in adult women. One woman in 11 will contract the disease during her lifetime. The primary goal of treatment is cure, through surgery either alone or in combination with radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy. Surgical management options include breast conservation, mastectomy, and palliative treatment.