Dear AuntMinnie member,
Opportunistic CT imaging analysis continues to evolve, with a new study we’re highlighting in this issue suggesting that noncontrast chest CT scans can predict future thoracic vertebral bone mineral density loss by measuring paraspinal muscle attenuation. You can find all of the details here.
Other recent stories from our CT content area include several on the use of CT in the emergency department (ED). In one, researchers found that neuroimaging use in EDs rose significantly between 2016 and 2025; meanwhile, another study found that placing a CT scanner adjacent to the ED can reduce stroke imaging times by 3-4 minutes. Also, a team at UMass Memorial Health in Worcester found that avoiding the ED altogether cut urgent CT turnaround time by half.
AI is another hot area of research, with one study finding that chest CT scans read with a commercially available AI tool for pulmonary nodule assessment reduced reporting times by almost 15%.
We also covered a few new developments in photon-counting CT (PCCT). In a study published in Radiology, a group in China found that PCCT was on par with MRI for characterizing breast lesions; and a team at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston suggest that PCCT scanners may obviate the need for sublingual nitroglycerin in patients being evaluated for coronary artery disease.
In news on low-dose lung cancer (LDLC) screening, a study found that sending stepped reminders to physicians and patients four weeks before their annual screening date increased screening adherence by nearly 28 percentage points. Other studies suggest that socioeconomic factors shape lung cancer screening burden and that using total years smoked as a screening criterion can better identify patients who would benefit from LDLC screening.
Finally, we reported on research by a group at the University of Washington in Seattle who provided an update on U.S. adult CT radiation doses, with fourfold more data than prior benchmarks. Findings include a 31% reduction in chest CT scans with contrast material compared to 2014.
You can also find these and our recent coverage of CT-related topics by visiting our CT content area.
Have a CT topic you’d like to see covered? Feel free to email me.
Will Morton
Associate Editor
AuntMinnie.com
