Eric Barnes[email protected]CTAustralian center halves CCTA dose using simple techniquesAn academic heart center in Australia has cut its coronary CT angiography (CCTA) dose in half over three years using simple techniques that emphasize prospective triggering, low kV settings, and aggressive beta-blockage, according to research presented at the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography meeting in Baltimore.July 29, 2012CTAuntMinnie.com CT InsiderJuly 25, 2012CTROMICAT II: CCTA more efficient to triage chest pain patientsIt's more efficient to use coronary CT angiography (CCTA) to rule out coronary artery disease for chest pain patients, according to results of the long-awaited Rule Out Myocardial Ischemia/Infarction Using Computer Assisted Tomography (ROMICAT) II trial, published on Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine.July 24, 2012CTSCCT: Dual-energy CTA may offer more accurate look at plaqueA new dual-energy CT angiography (DECTA) protocol may provide a more accurate look at coronary artery calcium by eliminating artifacts that can bedevil more conventional CTA approaches, according to researchers from Virginia at this week's Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (SCCT) meeting in Baltimore.July 23, 2012Nuclear MedicineACC-based software boosts appropriateness of heart scansAmerican College of Radiology guidelines aren't the only ones being used to develop software to rein in inappropriate utilization. A new decision-support tool based on American College of Cardiology (ACC) appropriateness criteria demonstrated its value in reducing unnecessary cardiac imaging exams in a recently completed pilot project.July 22, 2012CTChronic kidney failure no barrier to CT angiographyCT angiography using moderate doses of IV contrast in patients with advanced renal failure is a safe procedure that negatively affects renal function in only a small percentage of patients, according to researchers from Baltimore.July 12, 2012CTCT nanoparticle contrast: Good as gold?CT nanoparticle-based contrast agents are all investigational -- and at this point all preclinical -- but they're out there. In a few years, the tiny contrast agent delivery vehicles, which work well in animals, could greatly affect the diagnosis and treatment of disease in humans.July 11, 2012CTNew spectral imaging options improve abdominal CTACT angiography (CTA) of the abdomen is a well-established method for answering any number of diagnostic questions, but in the past couple of years it's gotten even better. Recent technical advances, such as spectral imaging CT at different energy levels, can improve the modality's diagnostic power, reducing dose and contrast use.July 8, 2012UltrasoundBMJ: Twice is the key to cost-effective AAA screeningDanish researchers have found a sort of Goldilocks solution to the question of whether abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) screening is cost-effective if performed repeatedly rather than just once in a patient's lifetime. The most cost-effective scenario is twice, they reported on Friday in the British Medical Journal.July 5, 2012CTPE studies highlight risks, benefits of CT examsA series of studies and an expert panel discussion published in the American Journal of Roentgenology highlight the benefits and risks of CT exams for detecting suspected pulmonary embolism (PE). On the whole, they downplayed the notion that the modality is overused.July 3, 2012Previous PagePage 83 of 258Next PageTop StoriesInterventionalDoes advanced imaging in stroke patients improve outcomes?Conventional or advanced imaging selection of EVT patients did not result in significant differences in 90-day clinical outcomes.CTSafety concerns lead to suspension of CT service at Belgian hospitalCTCentrally located lung cancer may lead to poor patient outcomesCTVideo: Perry Pickhardt on CTC, the 'best kept secret in medicine'Molecular ImagingExperts issue appropriate use criteria for molecular breast imaging
