Tuesday, December 1 | 1:30 p.m.-2:45 p.m. | PS30C | Arie Crown Theater
What does the future hold for radiology? Get ready for a cascade of sometimes conflicting trends -- all leading toward a more complex and better diagnosed future, according to a Tuesday plenary talk by radiology luminary Dr. James Thrall.Advances in technology will continue at a relentless pace, with imaging devices becoming both more complex and expensive -- meaning the use of more hybrid devices -- as well as less complex and less expensive -- meaning more single-organ and "defeatured" devices created for a single purpose, Thrall told AuntMinnie.com in an email.
Phase-contrast x-ray imaging, which analyzes changes in the x-ray beam as it passes through tissues to create images, is on the way, along with laser-stimulated ultrasound imaging, according to Thrall, who is chairman emeritus of the radiology department at Massachusetts General Hospital.
"Second-generation IT utility programs will help make radiologists more productive and will help improve quality of care and quality of work life," Thrall said. "Data mining will be used to turn data into knowledge. Decision-support systems will deliver just-in-time knowledge to referring providers and radiologists at the point of care."
Look for parametric analysis using concepts of artificial intelligence, neural networks, and deep-learning tools to unlock information in images that is not perceptible to the radiologist.
Three categories of innovation will shape future directions in radiology: continued development of imaging technologies; parallel developments in infrastructure, most importantly in computer analytics and information and communications systems; and the development and application of the imaging correlates of precision medicine. Among the new challenges that lurk, complexity in radiology practice will rise, increasing educational requirements, especially in parametric imaging, according to Thrall.
![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)
