Most Patients with Acute Pancreatitis Don’t Need Imaging
Computed tomography and MRI may not be necessary for most patients who present to the emergency department with acute pancreatitis.
Early imaging of patients with acute pancreatitis (AP) when physicians are confident of the diagnosis does not provide added benefit to patient care, according to an article published in the journal Abdominal Imaging.
Researchers from Harvard Medical School in Boston, MA performed a retrospective study to assess the utility of imaging (CT and MRI) for patients with AP who present to the emergency department.
Patients were diagnosed with AP based on the presence of two of the following:
• Typical abdominal pain
• Elevated lipase/amylase, more than three times normal
• Imaging findings of pancreatitis
The results showed that of 60 women and 41 men (mean age 52) who were admitted with a diagnosis of AP, 63 (62.4%) underwent imaging. Only one patient was found to have pancreatic necrosis.
The researchers noted that 88 patients (87.1%) could have been clinically diagnosed based on the presence of abdominal pain and lab values alone. Of these 88 patients, 50 (56.8%) underwent imaging.
The researchers concluded that early imaging is a common practice for patients admitted to the emergency department with AP, despite most patients not requiring the tests. “ Reducing overuse of early imaging in patients with confident diagnosis of AP may improve quality and reduce waste,” they wrote.
FDA Issues Expanded Pediatric Approval of MRI Contrast Agent for Lung Ventilation Assessment
June 2nd 2025Previously approved for MRI lung ventilation evaluation in adults and children 12 and older, the hyperpolarized contrast agent Xenoview can now be utilized for pediatric patients six years and older.
New MRI Study Questions Use of Corticosteroid Injections for Knee OA
May 27th 2025Two years after intraarticular knee injections for knee osteoarthritis (OA), study participants who had corticosteroid knee injections had greater OA progression than control patients while the use of hyaluronic acid injections was associated with less OA progression.
Photon-Counting Computed Tomography: Eleven Takeaways from a New Literature Review
May 27th 2025In a review of 155 studies, researchers examined the capabilities of photon-counting computed tomography (PCCT) for enhanced accuracy, tissue characterization, artifact reduction and reduced radiation dosing across thoracic, abdominal, and cardiothoracic imaging applications.
