Ultrasound

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The first study of its type has found ultrasound to be acceptable alternative to invasive biopsy for the management of tumors hidden to x-ray mammography but diagnosed as probably benign by the ultrasound Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System, according to a study in the July issue of Radiology.

The American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine unveiled a new strategy aiming at final FDA approval of contrast media for clinical ultrasound applications outside cardiology. The white paper outlining the plan appears in the June issue of the Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine.

Neurosurgery depends heavily on the ability of the surgeon to navigate through what can be seen as well as what cannot. MR- and CT-guided neuronavigational tools lately have done much to fill in the blanks with 3D maps that provide the context for interventions. Now biomedical engineers at Duke University are researching how ultrasound might provide a real-time guide to such surgeries.

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Research published in the June issue of the Journal of Nuclear Medicine suggests that radiolabeled recombinant tissue plasminogen activator can perform double duty for evaluations of deep vein thrombosis: It can diagnose the presence of DVT and distinguish between new and old thrombi. Peer-reviewed reports in the May medical literature reflect the growing value of medical imaging for diagnosing, assessing, and guiding the treatment of cardiovascular disease.

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Ultrasound measurements of the inferior vena cava can predict shock in trauma patients entering the emergency room. While ultrasound is already used to identify sources of internal bleeding, researchers recommend adding measurement of the inferior vena cava to the standard focused assessment with sonography for trauma (FAST). This measurement can provide valuable information about how low blood volume has dropped, the key factor in hypovolemic shock.

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The elderly patient was a major donor to the hospital. Intraoperative ultrasound revealed an unexpected liver lesion. Color Doppler showed vascularity. If the lesion was a cancerous tumor, the entire liver would need to be removed, the surgeon told radiologist Dr. Stephen Horii. Only histology would reveal actual pathology.

Quantitative ultrasound, the standard method for measuring bone quality, also correlates with bone mineral density and biochemical markers for bone turnover in women aged 66 to 77, according to a study from Greece. Older women in rural areas and others who lack access to biochemical labs and dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry equipment, the standard for measuring bone density, could therefore be screened for complete bone status using ultrasound.

Expectant parents no longer seem satisfied with keeping 3D fetal videos in their DVD collection armoire. Now they are posting them on the web. This practice could undermine organized radiology efforts to rein in unwarranted fetal sonography scans.

Ultrasound could make the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis considerably more accurate, aiding in recommendations for treatment. Treatment decisions can depend on how far the disease has progressed, and the only way to measure the progression of rheumatoid arthritisis to identify which of a patient’s joints show synovitis. Yet a recent study shows that doctors miss swelling in the shoulder joints of 30% of patients.

Revenues from ultrasound scanners in the U.S. rose more than 5% last year compared with 2005 on the heels of increasing demand for echocardiography. A drop of 23% in upgrades, however, damped overall growth to just 2.6%, according to a new report by Klein Biomedical Consultants. Still the ultrasound market rose to a record $1.33 billion in 2006 and could go much higher. Sales are expected to grow at an annual rate of 5.8% to reach $1.76 billion by 2011, according to the report, “Medical Diagnostic Ultrasound Market in the USA: Challenges & Opportunities in the New Millennium, 2006.”

Earlier this year it was SonoSite and Zonare preparing to battle in court over ultrasound patents. Last week GE opened a new front, alleging SonoSite infringement of five GE patents.

Treatment guidelines from the FDA limit the ultrasonic ablation of uterine fibroids to 50% of the lesion mass, as seen and targeted with MRI, a limitation that has raised doubts in the medical community about whether the treatment can be effective. But Dr. Phyllis Gee, medical director of the North Texas Uterine Fibroid Institute in Plano, says physicians need not be concerned about the efficacy or long-lasting effect of this treatment.

Features of high-end cart-based ob/gyn scanners officially trickled down to lapsize ultrasound systems this week when GE Healthcare launched its new ob/gyn portfolio at the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists meeting in San Diego.

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