Ultrasound

Prostate cancer imaging experts sent out a clear message in 2007: Prostate cancer in the U.S. has become an unrecognized patient care crisis that needs tackling. The good news is these experts agree that advanced imaging technologies could help in early detection and minimally invasive treatment. The lack of a cohesive national strategy is worrisome, however, and they want to see the adoption of a broad initiative for diagnosing and treating prostate cancer similar to that for breast cancer.

Researchers in Belgium have found that MR elastography is more accurate than a blood test commonly used in the noninvasive staging of liver fibrosis. The study adds weight to clinical literature that suggests MR elastography could replace biopsy.

Plans for a clinical trial designed to overcome long-standing regulatory obstacles to the general clinical use of ultrasound contrast media in the U.S. have been knocked off track by an FDA-mandated black box safety warning for two microbubble agents approved for echocardiography.

Researchers used a customized search engine to quickly find that most discordant resident versus attending physician preliminary reports involved fractures, liver/kidney lesions, pulmonary nodules, and gastrointestinal wall thickening.

A large prospective screening trial from the University of Pennsylvania compared screen-film mammography, digital mammography, whole-breast ultrasound, and contrast-enhanced MRI in a population of 569 asymptomatic women. In this single-center trial, funded by the National Cancer Institute, the definition of high risk included women with a 25% lifetime risk based on genetic testing or Gail or Claus models and those with a history of cancer in the contralateral breast.

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A high-energy form of ultrasound produces images of liver tumors that are more conspicuous than those from traditional ultrasound, according to results of a clinical study.

Three-D ultrasound examination shows the location, size, and perivesical spreading of bladder tumors just as well as conventional cystoscopy. The technique has the advantage of being noninvasive.

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GE Healthcare this week introduced two tailored, highly portable ultrasound systems, one for emergency medicine, the other for anesthesia. Although these systems are narrowly focused in the clinical sense, they reflect a multifaceted corporate approach to ultrasound that leverages different technologies to achieve specific goals.

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Siemens Medical Solutions’ new S-2000 scanner, introduced at the RSNA meeting, is a new breed of ultrasound system and the first in the company’s newly minted “S” or “superior” class of scanners.

The worldwide market for compact ultrasound scanners is expected to grow 36% in 2007, according to Harvey Klein, ultrasound industry analyst and president of Klein Biomedical Consultants. GE reports that global revenue from the sale of compact ultrasound systems grew to $175 million in the third quarter, a 65% gain over the year-earlier period.

The ultrasound signs known as lung comets predict cardiovascular events better than other ultrasound predictors in patients with chest pain and shortness of breath.

Laryngeal ultrasound can provide useful diagnostic information about benign lesions of the vocal folds. Unlike other assessment methods, it is noninvasive and inexpensive and requires no anesthesia or radiation.

The American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine and the American College of Emergency Physicians have announced the publication of a joint protocol for blunt abdominal injuries.

Philips is working with contrast agent developer ImaRx to find information that might turn diagnostic ultrasound scanners into weapons against acute ischemic stroke, the companies announced early this month. Research at Oregon Health & Science University may complement Philips’ collaboration, providing information to use against a disease with annual medical costs approaching $63 billion.

Philips is working with contrast agent developer ImaRx to find information that might turn diagnostic ultrasound scanners into weapons against acute ischemic stroke, the companies announced early this month. Research at Oregon Health & Science University may complement Philips’ collaboration, providing information to use against a disease with annual medical costs approaching $63 billion.

Judging by large clinical trials on two different imaging platforms, breast ultrasound elastography is moving closer to mainstream use as a means of helping prevent biopsies of benign lesions.

Bedside ultrasound quickly and accurately verifies the placement of endotracheal tubes in pediatric patients, even when the standard tests give false-negative or equivocal results, according to a recent study.

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound of the carotid artery can identify the presence and degree of vascularization in atherosclerotic plaque, providing a noninvasive way to measure the existence and degree of atherosclerosis, according to a recent study.

In an unlikely gathering, representatives of medical imaging and petroleum industries met Nov. 12 at the University of Houston to explore common mechanical problems associated with moving blood and oil through vessels and pipelines.

If we were to believe vendors, radiology would be awash in breakthroughs. But, in reality, industry advances are rare, which is all the more reason to celebrate the events of RSNA 2007.

An overwhelming majority of the audience at an RSNA special focus session voted in favor of keeping up the efforts to get FDA approval for the use of contrast ultrasound for general radiology applications.

Ultrasound-guided percutaneous ethanol injections hold up as a treatment for controlling neck recurrence of papillary thyroid carcinoma. They could be effective for patients who are poor candidates for surgery.

From the first Monday of October to the end of the month, vendor SonoSite commercially launched five hand-carried ultrasound products. It was a month that could change the course of ultrasound.

Breast ultrasound significantly increases detection of cancers in high-risk women but takes a big toll in the rate of benign biopsies, according to the initial results of a screening trial sponsored by the American College of Radiology Imaging Network and the Avon Foundation.

Medison America spotlights the Accuvix V10 this week at the RSNA meeting. The ultrasound scanner, which appeared last year as a work-in-progress, cleared the FDA in spring. It supports 3D/4D imaging, as well as spectral, color, and power Doppler.

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The palm-sized Acuson P10 ultrasound scanner appears this week as a commercial product from Siemens Medical Solutions along with the laptop-based Acuson P50. The P50 is designed for mobile environments but is outfitted with diagnostic-level capabilities, including high-quality gray-scale as well as color and Doppler imaging. Its primary applications will be in cardiology and vascular imaging.