iPads Reliable Tool to Assess MR Images

Physicians can rely on iPads to provide MR images that are on par with DICOM calibrated secondary-class monitors, said researchers in a study published in the August issue of the journal Academic Radiology.

To assess iPad image quality, the researchers looked at 13 MRI cases that contained one of four possible presentations of either spinal cord compression, cauda equine syndrome, spinal cord hemorrhage, or spinal cord edema, as well as 18 control cases. The images were assessed by 13 board-certified radiologists and viewed on both an iPad and an LCD device.

The researchers found no statistical differences between the findings noted on either device. This finding backed up earlier findings of a University of Maryland study that found diagnosis of tuberculosis could be made effectively using the iPad 2 to review chest X-ray images.