Dear AuntMinnie Member,
SAN FRANCISCO - The International Society for Computed Tomography's (ISCT) annual meeting continues this week, with AuntMinnie.com providing daily updates from this important conference in our CT Digital Community.
A prominent theme at the conference is managing the risks inherent in CT scanning, two of which are increased radiation dose and contrast reactions. In one presentation on Tuesday, Sandra Halliburton, Ph.D., from the Cleveland Clinic discussed how to reduce radiation dose by scanning with lower kVp settings.
But there are some guidelines you should follow before dropping your tube voltage -- find out what they are by clicking here.
In other presentations, ISCT speakers discussed the relationship between CT contrast and contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN). The causes of and relationship between CIN and acute kidney injury are still not totally clear, but the speakers provided some useful guidance on what to look for in patients who might be at risk for clinically significant CIN and which contrast agents you can use to minimize it. Learn more by clicking here.
Last but certainly not least, researchers from the University of Wisconsin in Madison unveiled a new study of CT's performance in acute appendicitis in nearly 2,000 patients. Of course the modality was highly sensitive and specific, but learn what else the group found by clicking here.
You'll find these and other stories from the ISCT meeting in our CT Digital Community at ct.auntminnie.com.
![Axial images from unenhanced calcium score cardiac CT (left) and curved planar reformation images from CT angiography (right) show that higher long-term exposure to air pollution is associated with greater coronary artery calcium and more obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD). Top row: Images in a 68-year-old male patient with higher 10-year mean ambient air pollution exposure (7.9 μg/m3 for particulate matter measuring ≤2.5 μm in diameter [PM2.5] and 17.4 parts per billion [ppb] for NO2) with extensive CAD (coronary artery calcium score [CACS] >1,000 and obstructive CAD [≥70% diameter stenosis]). Bottom row: Images in a 57-year-old female patient with lower 10-year mean ambient air pollution exposure (6.3 μg/m3 for PM2.5 and 4.6 ppb for NO2) with no CAD (CACS = 0 and no obstructive stenosis).](https://img.auntminnie.com/mindful/smg/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/06/hanneman.r6SMLzkezo.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&dpr=2&fit=crop&h=167&q=70&w=250)
