Medical Physics: Page 15

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

By Eric Barnes

CHICAGO - The Agatston score has officially been replaced by calcium mass for coronary artery calcium assessment.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

Studies cast doubt on low-level radiation dangers

By Eric Barnes

Are the risks of low-dose radiation exposure being overestimated? It’s a tantalizing idea, and one that's gaining attention as some imaging proponents look for ways to counter criticism of techniques such as whole-body CT screening.

January 29, 2003

Digital departments need rigorous QA program

By Erik L. Ridley

CLEVELAND - As healthcare institutions convert to digital image management, they can't afford to neglect a comprehensive quality assurance program, according to Stephen Thompson, a medical physicist at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.

May 4, 2002

CT sees growth, and new concerns over radiation dose

It has been a mixed year for CT. On the one hand, the growth of multislice scanning applications has sparked new interest in a modality that was once seriously threatened by MRI. On the other, radiation dose concerns have cast a shadow that physicists and radiologists alike are working hard to address.

November 24, 2001

Fluoroscopy safety demands a plan

By Jonathan S. Batchelor

As the use of high-dose fluoroscopy for image-guided procedures increases, so does the potential for radiation-induced injuries. Hospitals and administrators should proactively require training and certification in radiation management, according to a Baylor College of Medicine physicist.

October 10, 2001

Bayesian network aids in diagnosing primary bone tumors

By Jonathan S. Batchelor

SALT LAKE CITY - Neural networks are all the rage in computer-aided diagnostic (CAD) tools. A group of researchers at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee believe that the use of a Bayesian network may have advantages over neural nets.

May 3, 2001