Abdominal CT studies can help clinicians accurately evaluate the lumbar spine.
Abdominal CT studies are a feasible method for obtaining an accurate evaluation of the lumbar spine, according to a study published in the British Journal of Radiology.
Researchers from Milwaukee VA Medical Center in Wisconsin sought to determine if the lumbar spine can be accurately evaluated on an abdominal CT.
The researchers obtained the records of all consecutive patients who underwent an abdominal CT within 12 months of a lumbar spine MRI between November 1, 2010 and October 31, 2015. The abdominal CT studies were retrospectively reviewed in a blinded fashion for the presence of any significant lumbar spine abnormalities. The prospective lumbar spine MRI reports were used as the standard of reference.
A total of 144 patients met the inclusion criteria of the study; 107 patients had 256 abnormal findings on the lumbar spine MRI studies.
The researchers concluded that while there were several limitations, which included spinal cord assessment, bone marrow assessment, and quantum mottle, compared with evaluation of the lumbar spine using MRI, evaluation of the lumbar spine on abdominal CT studies can be accurately performed with current state-of-the-art CT scanners. They do suggest that additional prospective studies are needed for a more definitive analysis.
Can Polyenergetic Reconstruction Help Resolve Streak Artifacts in Photon Counting CT?
July 22nd 2024New research looking at photon-counting computed tomography (PCCT) demonstrated significantly reduced variation and tracheal air density attenuation with polyenergetic reconstruction in contrast to monoenergetic reconstruction on chest CT.
Systematic Review: PET/MRI May be More Advantageous than PET/CT in Cancer Imaging
July 18th 2024While PET/MRI and PET/CT had comparable sensitivity for patient-level regional nodal metastases and lesion-level recurrence, the authors of a systematic review noted that PET/MRI had significantly higher accuracy in breast cancer and colorectal cancer staging.
The Reading Room: Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Cancer Screenings, and COVID-19
November 3rd 2020In this podcast episode, Dr. Shalom Kalnicki, from Montefiore and Albert Einstein College of Medicine, discusses the disparities minority patients face with cancer screenings and what can be done to increase access during the pandemic.
FDA Clears Enhanced Mobile CT System with High-Resolution Photon-Counting Technology
July 15th 2024Photon-counting CT-optimized features with the OmniTom Elite system include 30 cm field of view scanning, continuous spiral scanning, and an ultra-high-resolution capability of 0.141 mm resolution.