CT: Page 617

Researchers determine optimal MDCT protocols for liver imaging

CHICAGO - Multislice CT comes with far too many exposure choices, so it’s always good news when researchers take the time to determine the optimal settings in some anatomic region or other. In this case it’s isotropic liver imaging, offered up by Dr. Min Ju Kim and colleagues from the Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine in Seoul, Korea.

December 3, 2003

VC finds all masses after conventional colonoscopy fails in its mission

CHICAGO - Virtual colonoscopy had a high predictive value for the presence of colorectal masses after failed colonoscopy, according to researchers from the Beth Israel Medical Center in Boston. There were too many false-positive findings among the larger polyps, but VC still succeeded in detecting the most important lesions.

December 2, 2003

PET/CT shows promise as first-line tool for oncologic staging, topping MRI in one head-to-head comparison

By Jonathan S. Batchelor

CHICAGO - Accurate tumor staging is critical for patient management in clinical oncology. Research conducted by a team from Essen, Germany, suggests stage-adapted therapy – tumor staging (T), lymph node metastasis staging (N), and distant metastasis staging (M) – may benefit by the use of a mix of modalities.

December 2, 2003

International committee of CT users and vendors settles on mass as the standard measurement of coronary calcium

CHICAGO - The Agatston score has officially been replaced by calcium mass for coronary artery calcium assessment. It has, at least, in the eyes of an international consortium of radiologists, physicists, and vendors that has labored for four years to settle on a new standard designed to work as well for electron-beam CT (EBCT) scanners as it does for multidetector-row CT (MDCT) machines.

December 1, 2003

CT screening for lung cancer in high-risk patients finds early lesions, with apparent cost-effectiveness

By Edward Susman

CHICAGO - The use of CT screening to find early lung cancers in high-risk individuals not only discovers the lesions at an early stage of development but also appears to be able to perform the task in a cost-effective manner.

November 30, 2003

Karachi connection: CT best for busting heroin smugglers

CHICAGO - These days the long arm of the law is reaching deep into suspected drug-smuggling operations in Pakistan -- in some cases right into the bellies of suspected drug traffickers. In cases referred by customs officials, radiologists in the port city of Karachi are now using abdominal ultrasound, x-ray and CT to thwart so-called "body packers" who swallow capsules of heroin before attempting to leave the country.

November 30, 2003

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CT perfusion studies can identify patients at risk of hemorrhage from thrombolytic therapy

By Edward Susman

CHICAGO - Quantitative CT perfusion imaging appears to give doctors a means to determine if the patient suffering an acute stroke is at risk of suffering hemorrhage with thrombolytic therapy.

November 29, 2003

Homemade GI contrast solution optimizes PET/CT imaging without artifacts

By Jonathan S. Batchelor

CHICAGO - The use of positive oral contrast agents can be a tricky business when utilizing the CT portion of a PET/CT scanner for attenuation data in a gastrointestinal study, according to researchers from Essen, Germany. These agents, such as iodine, may induce artifacts into the PET emission data if PET attenuation correction is based on the CT scan.

November 29, 2003

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Imaging documents damage associated with NSAIDs usage

The most commonly used drug class in the world, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), are associated with a host of proven benefits, primarily their ability to control pain and inflammation due to acute or chronic conditions. Drugs in this class are also being investigated for several potential preventive benefits, including colorectal cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and, most recently, Parkinson’s disease.

November 26, 2003

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Thinner collimation improves polyp detection -- sometimes

The jury has not yet rendered a verdict on the value of thin-section CT slices in colorectal polyp detection, but the lengthy trial is at least moving forward. Among the questions presented in cross-examination: Does tighter longitudinal resolution really improve the ability to find lesions in virtual colonoscopy? And if so, are the additional findings the ones that radiologists really need to see?

November 25, 2003

X-ray, image intensifier tube costs decline

November 24, 2003

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Is your preventive imaging program responsible?

Advances in sophisticated noninvasive screening capabilities and accelerating consumer healthcare expectations converge daily at the contemporary preventive imaging centers that dot the 21st-century landscape. In large part, this has been driven by widespread media coverage of screening exams and appealing advertisements touting the benefits of a "fantastic voyage" through "le corps intérieur."

November 23, 2003

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