Radiologists and AI don’t always work well together: New research finds that the benefits of using AI tools appear to vary, boosting performance of some clinicians, but hurting others'.
Stagnation, under-use, unfulfilled potential: At the EUSEM congress in Barcelona, leading emergency physician Dr Joseph Osterwalder describes how e-FAST (Extended Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma) – a key point-of-care ultrasound technique for trauma – has changed over the last two decades, and not necessarily for the better.
Incidence of lung cancer among people who never smoked is rising. A new AI tool opens the door for opportunistic screening for this group, using existing chest X-rays in the electronic medical record.
A team from UNC has developed a steerable lung robot that can autonomously maneuver the intricacies of the lung, while avoiding important lung structures.
Experts presented state-of-the-art and emerging techniques to treat chest tumours and discussed common issues in the management of pneumothorax at RSNA 2022. Current ablation methods in the thorax include radiofrequency ablation (RFA), microwave ablation (MWA), cryoablation (CRYO), irreversible electroporation (IRE) and pulsed electric field.
While screening programs for several of the commonest cancers are now well established, lung cancer screening has yet to reach anywhere near the same proportion of at-risk patients.
AI can use data from low-dose CT scans of the lungs to improve risk prediction for death from lung cancer, cardiovascular disease and other causes, a new study finds.
Photon-counting CT allows for a comprehensive, simultaneous evaluation of lung structure and function, something not possible with standard CT, according to a new study.
Assistance from an AI algorithm with high diagnostic accuracy improved radiologist performance in detecting lung cancers on chest X-rays and increased human acceptance of AI suggestions.
It’s clear that radiology is lacking in the “green” department: healthcare still causes a large share of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, not least due to diagnostic imaging. Dr Sarah Sheard from Imperial College Healthcare, UK, invited her ECR audience to take a closer look at radiology’s climate footprint – and revealed ways to make the field more sustainable.
An artificial intelligence tool can accurately identify normal and abnormal chest X-rays in a clinical setting, according to a new study. The tool identified abnormal X-rays with a 99.1% sensitivity.
According to an accepted manuscript published in the American Journal of Roentgenology (AJR), using a dual-source CT (DSCT) scanner for coronary CTA can facilitate clinical processes by eliminating the need to administer beta-blockers for heart rate control while decreasing nondiagnostic examinations.
Photon-counting detector CT reduces the amount of contrast needed for CT angiography (CTA) while maintaining image quality, according to a new study published in Radiology: Cardiothoracic Imaging.
Artificial intelligence (AI) may help improve care for patients who show up at the hospital with acute chest pain, according to a new study published in Radiology.
On March 31st, 2022, a city-wide lockdown to curtail the spread of the Covid-19 virus in Shanghai, China, shuttered the GE Healthcare manufacturing facility that produces 80% of the global supply of iodinated contrast media agents iohexol (Omnipaque) and lodixanol (Visipaque). Although the plant was able to operate at 50% capacity by mid-May, the shutdown resulted in a substantial contrast media…
Increasing accessibility of remote and home monitoring for patients with pulmonary diseases can help improve treatment and rehabilitation adherence, and support health systems and hospitals in tackling waiting lists. The various advantages of remote monitoring systems will be highlighted in a Medica session focusing on “Preventing chronic diseases with diagnostics and analytics”.
Recent advances in CT have focused mainly on software, yet new technology could push the modality much further, experts showed at ECR 2022.
As knowledge about Covid-19 advances, so does the arsenal of techniques to predict, diagnose and follow up on the disease. At ECR, researchers presented a range of promising imaging modalities to keep track of Covid-19 symptoms, severity, and mortality, often including AI support to enhance or accelerate diagnostics.
A Europe-wide project aims to improve medical radiation protection for patients and staff by better understanding and evaluating the health effects of exposure to low-dose ionising radiation resulting from diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.
Dark-field radiography uses a part of X-rays that has hardly been considered so far to expand the spectrum of diagnostic imaging. At the ECR Overture, Theresa Urban presented the new method.
Physicians use AI-powered technology for faster and earlier detection of diseases. At ECR Overture, Dr Steven Schalekamp, PhD, discussed the application of AI for chest radiography in paediatrics.
Incorporating AI support into clinical practice can reduce repetitive tasks, saving approximately one hour of chest CT interpretation time in a radiologist’s typical workday.
A special type of MRI found lung abnormalities in patients who had previously had COVID-19, even those who had not been hospitalized with the illness.
When it comes to imaging stable cardiac chest pain, which modality should be used as the first-line test to investigate coronary artery disease: CT or MRI? Radiologists discussed the strengths and limitations of the two approaches in a lively Pros and Cons session at ECR Overture.
A new pilot study suggests that machine learning algorithms which fuse electrocardiogram (ECG) and electronic health record data may help doctors screen for dangerous, lung-clogging blot clots.
Radiologists in Paris have developed a standardised simple visual lung damage CT severity score for Covid-19 patients who do not have symptoms of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) at the time of initial treatment.
When the coronavirus first struck in the US, hospitals in New York City were the first to feel the impact. Radiologists Professor Judy Yee, M.D., and Mark C. Liszewski, M.D., describe the lessons learned and talk about their firsthand experiences.
Unsupervised deep learning breaks new ground by predicting the progression of COVID-19 and survival of patients directly from their chest CT images.
An AI-led device to assess coronary CT angiographs has been designed to assess cardiac plaque that may lead to myocardial infarction (MI). In his presentation ‘Vascular inflammation and cardiovascular risk assessment using coronary CT angiography’ (CCTA), Charambalos Antoniades, Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine at the University of Oxford, presented the research team’s findings during…
Artificial intelligence (AI) could match the impact of PACS on radiology. Covid-19 stimulated the development and testing of AI diagnostic-aiding tools in radiology, an unintended consequence of the pandemic. More image data sets have been created to train AI software – an unexpected benefit for radiology research.
New artificial intelligence (AI) technology to scan for heightened blood vessel inflammation can calculate a person’s risk of death from Covid-19 and its variants.
Artificial Intelligence in health and care is being introduced across the UK via a major national project that is already producing a range of innovations. Latest developments were outlined to the online Intelligent Health conference in a headlining presentation by Dr Indra Joshi, Director of AI at NHSX, which is a joint unit bringing together teams from NHS England and NHS Improvement, and the…
An artificial intelligence (AI)-driven system that automatically combs through brain MRIs for abnormalities could speed care to those who need it most, according to a new study. “There are an increasing number of MRIs that are performed, not only in the hospital but also for outpatients, so there is a real need to improve radiology workflow,” said study co-lead author Romane Gauriau, PhD,…
Body composition information derived from routine chest CTs can provide important information on the overall health of people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), including their risk of all-cause mortality. This is the result of a new study, published in Radiology. COPD is a group of chronic, progressive lung diseases that affect about 30 million people in the United States alone.…
Systematic review finds that machine learning models for detecting and diagnosing Covid-19 from medical images have major flaws and biases, making them unsuitable for use in patients. However, researchers have suggested ways to remedy the problem. Researchers have found that out of the more than 300 Covid-19 machine learning models described in scientific papers in 2020, none of them is suitable…
The results of a large-scale study indicate that the introduction of an AI-powered solution by healthcare software company Radlogics into radiology workflow to analyze Chest-CT scans during the Covid-19 pandemic reduced report turnaround time by an average of 30 percent, which is equivalent to 7 minutes per case.
With a growing number of Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms to support medical imaging analysis, finding the best solution for specific radiology tasks is not always straightforward. Many are cloaked in secrecy and commercial sensitivity and while an algorithm may perform well in one area, evidence of performance and adaptability in another environment is not always available.
Improving workflow is one of the major challenges that radiology departments face. The need to be more efficient, deliver timely and effective patient care, and keep an eye on costs are all factors that seem to be ever-present in the modern imaging department. With the added demands of the coronavirus pandemic as radiology departments continue to play a critical role in the fight against…
Pan-European lung cancer screening is challenged due to the range of approaches in different countries. As attitudes towards smoking and smoking cessation programmes vary, experts are attempting to establish more unified lung cancer screening. The introduction of consistent pan-European lung cancer screening will be outlined at a special session during the online ECR 2021, with presentations…
The Belgian initiative icovid, which supports radiologists in the assessment of CT images of the lungs of COVID-19 patients, has grown into a multicentre European project, co-funded by the EU Horizon 2020 programme. Icovid was set up in March by UZ Brussel, KU Leuven, icometrix and ETRO, an imec research group of VUB.
Covid-19 causes characteristic changes in lung tissue visible in CT scans and chest radiographs, known as “ground-glass” opacities. Imaging is now considered a valid alternative, possibly even superior to RT-PCR. ‘This sparked an international debate about the role of CT in the diagnostic work-up of Covid-19,’ said radiologist Professor Cornelia Schäfer-Prokop.
A panel of experts from the USA and China highlighted AI use in radiological workflow during the Covid pandemic and identified current pitfalls during the Hot Topic session at RSNA 2020. Radiologists from the USA prioritised Covid articles, delivered quick reviews, made all results open access, and helped organise a white paper from the Fleischner Society recognising recommendations for the role…
RSNA 2020: International experts showcased new studies on chest CT’s role in Covid-19 diagnosis and treatment. A staggering volume of work and has been produced on the pandemic this year, with an average 367 Covid-19 journal articles published per week, according to Michael Chung, Assistant professor of radiology at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, NYC.
According to Professor Fabian Bamberg, Medical Director at the Clinic for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology at University Hospital Freiburg, Germany, ‘In recent years, cardiac CT has seen a mindboggling technological evolution.’ It is, he believes, a very robust procedure that allows the routine acquisition of high-resolution images with very few side effects.
The coronavirus pandemic has had a severe impact on healthcare services but one area where that has been felt particularly deeply is with lung cancer screening. With sessions cancelled, treatment delays and social-distancing and safety requirements, many patients have been affected. However, as services begin to pick up again and lung cancer screening returns, three experts closely associated…
Wearable ultrasound sensors can help patients monitor their lung health from their own homes. The potential application of this technology were outlined in a session at MEDICA 2020.
Large proportions of patients can be safely triaged either to rule out discharge or rule in lifesaving management – if following the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Guidelines Class I recommendation of two serial measurements of hs-cTnI on admission and after one hour, if there are assay specific cut off values for the 0/1 algorithms. The Pathfast hs-cTNI assay is an approved system to…
A new review, conducted by Professor John Field from the University of Liverpool and Professor Matthijs Oudkerk, University of Groningen, provides an authoritative insight into the current status of lung cancer screening. Lung cancer kills more people than any other cancer. The number of deaths in 2017 in the UK was 3,300, making lung cancer the commonest cause of cancer death in the UK for both…
A recent preprint study in France underpins the debate on whether lung ultrasound (LUS) should be used to triage COVID-19 patients better at the hospital as well as in primary care. The eChoVid study, published as a preliminary report of work on medTrix, shows that LUS enables identification of lung lesions as well as chest CT in COVID-19 patients. A team of French researchers compared routinely…
Ultrasound could become the prime modality in emergency settings for tracking disease progression in COVID-19 patients. While chest CT has held a key diagnostic role thus far, many experts now advocate the benefits of ultrasound within the context of the coronavirus epidemic. Dr Rachel Liu, who recently led a high-profile panel discussion with experts from the USA and areas of Europe with high…
Fujitsu and Tokyo Shinagawa Hospital today announced the launch of a joint R&D project for AI technology to support diagnostic imaging via chest CT (Computed Tomography), which represents a promising candidate for the effective diagnosis of COVID-19 pneumonia.
Value-based healthcare is gaining momentum and radiologists must increasingly show their contribution in improving patient care. Artificial intelligence (AI) can help them to do so and brings a series of new opportunities, according to Charles E Kahn, Professor and Vice Chairman of Radiology at the University of Pennsylvania, speaking at a meeting in Madrid in January. AI can do a lot to improve…
Researchers at the University of Notre Dame are developing a new technique using artificial intelligence (AI) that would improve CT screening to more quickly identify patients with the coronavirus. The new technique will reduce the burden on the radiologists tasked with screening each image. Testing challenges have led to an influx of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 requiring CT scans which…
Rapid first aid during cardiac arrest makes the difference between life and death. But what happens to the heart and the internal organs when people come running and begin to give well-meaning but heavy-handed heart massage as they attempt to keep the person who has suffered a cardiac arrest alive? A research collaboration between the Department of Forensic Medicine at Aarhus University and the…
40 years ago, anticipating the huge impact of computers in radiology, a group of visionaries formed the Radiology Information System Consortium (RISC). In 1989, RISC created the Society for Computer Applications (SCAR) to promote computer applications in digital imaging. Those organisations became the Society for Imaging Informatics in Medicine (SIIM). At SIIM 2020, a virtual meeting, experts…
There are major complications from COVID-19 – ARDS, pulmonary embolism and neurological – that imaging can help detect, manage and/or follow up in the long term, radiologists from France and the UK explained during a recent ESR Connect session. ARDS is the most dreaded complication and the number one morbidity in COVID-19 patients. The incidence was up to 30% of patients in initial reports.…
The AI-Rad Companion family supports radiologists, radiation oncologists, radiotherapists and medical physicists through automated post processing of MRI, CT and X-ray datasets. It saves the clinicians' time and helps them to increase their diagnostic precision.
The coronavirus pandemic created unprecedented upheaval and challenges within health systems, economies, and society. In hospitals, new ways of working had to evolve. Social distancing led to virtual consultations and teleradiology has found an added dimension. We asked three radiologists about the relevance of teleradiology during the epidemic, and what the future holds.
The critical role of radiographers in the coronavirus epidemic was highlighted in the final episode of the ESR Connect series of webcasts, ‘Radiology fighting COVID-19’. Three European speakers in the session ‘Radiologists & Radiographers: Lessons learned from the pandemic’ (chaired by Helmut Prosch, Professor of Radiology at the Medical University Vienna), discussed their coronavirus…
Artificial Intelligence is an essential tool for the healthcare operators on the front line in the fight against the Coronavirus pandemic. ASST Vimercate Hospital chose and implemented in the midst of the COVID-19 emergency REiLI, Fujifilm Medical Systems’ Artificial Intelligence.
Although the clinical symptoms of new pediatric lung disorders such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), swine-origin influenza A (H1N1), Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), e-cigarette or vaping product use-associated lung injury (EVALI), and coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pneumonia may be nonspecific, some characteristic imaging findings "have emerged or are currently…
As the first country to be hit by COVID-19, China learned a number of early lessons into how to combat the highly-infectious disease. With radiology teams playing an important role and utilising CT chest scans as a diagnostic tool against coronavirus, Chinese practitioners have found themselves well-placed to offer a valuable insight on how to combat and contain COVID-19. In a special webcast –…
Hospitals and organizations worldwide joined forces with AI imaging company icometrix in a global initiative to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) in the fight against COVID-19. The multinational collaboration resulted in the development of an AI algorithm, icolung, which received CE-marking for clinical use in Europe. icolung is the first CE-marked AI solution for CT resulting from a…
Radiology experts from Norway and Germany highlighted the role of structured reporting in communicating clear results to the rest of the team, to improve patient and staff safety during the pandemic. They also related Germany’s experience of the crisis and what lies ahead in an online conference organized by the European Society of Radiology (ESR) last week.
As radiologists worldwide continue to share their knowledge of COVID-19 to help fight the pandemic, two chest experts from France and Spain talked about their country perspectives and the practical experience at their hospital in a dedicated online session organized by the European Society of Radiology (ESR).
Chest X-ray is the first imaging method to diagnose COVID-19 coronavirus infection in Spain, but in the light of new evidence this may change soon, according to Milagros Martí de Gracia, Vice President of the Spanish Society of Radiology (SERAM) and head of the emergency radiology unit at La Paz Hospital in Madrid, one of the hot spots for viral re-production of COVID-19.
Examining the safety of AI integration into clinical workflow during at the British Institute of Radiology (BIR) annual congress in London, this November, Professor Nicola Strickland focused on issues of data quantity and quality, regulation, validation and testing of algorithms. She also urged radiologists and computer scientists to work more closely together to develop safe, effective and…
In a study of more than 1,000 patients published in Radiology, chest CT outperformed lab testing in the diagnosis of 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Researchers at Tongji Hospital in Wuhan, China, concluded that CT should be used as the primary screening tool for COVID-19. In the absence of specific therapeutic drugs or vaccines for COVID-19, it is essential to detect the disease at an…
It’s time to cut through the hype surrounding artificial intelligence and begin to understand the reality in terms of application in radiology. With many different algorithms available that cover a growing array of diagnostic and interpretational areas, Dr Anjum Ahmed believes hospitals and care providers now need to ask the right questions when weighing up AI implementation in their clinical…
Carestream’s Digital Tomosynthesis (DT) functionality—a three-dimensional extension of general radiography—has received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Simplifying workflow and reducing exam time, DT technology is an upgradable option on the Carestream DRX-Evolution Plus System, a versatile digital radiography system that can perform a wide range of…
At RSNA 2019, GE Healthcare launches more than 30 new, imaging intelligent applications and smart devices designed to drive efficiency in radiology departments, aiming to double productivity and cost savings for systems by 2025. For healthcare executives, the new offerings help systems to save costs, improve technology utilization, and increase patient volumes. Clinicians also will benefit from…
Carestream will introduce a three-dimensional extension of general radiography through its Digital Tomosynthesis (DT) functionality (Pending FDA 510(k) clearance) at this year’s Radiological Society of North America conference in booth #7513, North Hall. Simplifying workflow and reducing exam time, Carestream’s DT technology is an upgradable option on the DRX-Evolution Plus System. This DT…
The first use of a robot-supported surgical intervention was reported in 1985, when the robot arm PUMA 560 placed a needle for a cerebral biopsy using CT guidance. Since then, strong growth in the market for robotic surgery has occurred, due to an increasing automation demand in the healthcare as a whole and greater concentration on minimally invasive surgery (MIS) for faster recovery.…
For lung cancer patients, life expectancy has hardly improved since 1970. A ten-year survival is 5%, making this the leading cause of death among all cancers. One reason is that, in most cases, the disease is diagnosed far too late. Professor Mathias Prokop is among leading advocates of low-dose CT screening for lung cancer for high risk patients.
Technology developed using artificial intelligence (AI) could identify people at high risk of a fatal heart attack at least five years before it strikes, according to new research funded by the British Heart Foundation (BHF). The findings are being presented at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress in Paris and published in the European Heart Journal. Researchers at the University of…
ESC Congress, Paris: Two key strands in the ‘Controversies in imaging coronary artery disease’ session at the congress will examine the pros and cons of imaging use for coronary artery disease risk stratification in asymptomatic patients; the second strand will focus on whether CT angiography should be the first choice for imaging coronary artery disease in patients with stable chest pain.…
Uwe Joseph Schoepf, Professor for Radiology, Cardiology and Paediatrics and Director of the Department of Cardiovascular Imaging at the Medical University of South Carolina, discusses areas of application for AI-based radiology. The cardiothoracic imaging expert and his team were largely involved in the development and early clinical trials of the Siemens AI-Rad Companion Chest CT, a software…
On the centenary of his birth, Mark Nicholls reflects on the life and legacy of Nobel laureate Sir Godfrey Newbold Hounsfield, the man who pioneered computed tomography. It was a discovery that came from a moment of inspiration during a country walking holiday; the idea that one could determine what was inside a box by taking X-ray readings at all angles around the object. From that, Sir Godfrey…
A protein associated with cancer growth appears to drive the deadly lung disease known as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), according to new research from Cedars-Sinai. The discovery, made in laboratory mice and human tissue samples, may have implications for treating the disease using existing anti-cancer therapies that inhibit the protein PD-L1. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a chronic,…
The topic of artificial intelligence (AI) was omnipresent at RSNA2018, the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America. From the opening presidential address, throughout scientific sessions and educational presentations, to the vendors’ technical exhibition, around 53,000 attendees learned about pioneering new products, research, plus challenges and opportunities to implement…
Technological change is a major part of change management in radiology and it is inevitable. Artificial intelligence (AI) has slipped into every area of life including the hospital, and is already making decisions in radiology systems. The good news is that radiologists could win on two fronts, provided they play their cards well, a leading USA radiologist told delegates at a recent congress in…
Communicating radiation risks is not only a legal requirement, it is also a moral obligation, asserts Dr Shane J Foley, radiographer and assistant professor at the UCD School of Medicine in Dublin, Ireland. Passing on radiation information has its pitfalls, but several helpful tools can improve communication, some of which the expert highlighted during ECR 2018.
Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) has become an important adjunct to clinical diagnosis and procedural guidance in the Pediatric Emergency Department (PED), supported by literature demonstrating that its use can improve patient safety and expedite life-saving care. POCUS further helps to reduce costs and children’s exposure to ionizing radiation. Not only is POCUS ideally suited for…
MRI has a central role in picking up myocardial infarction with non-obstructive coronary disease, a condition that particularly affects women but is often left untreated, with potentially fatal outcome. Heart attack in women presents differently than in men and requires a different approach when it comes to detection and prevention, according to cardiologist Allison Hays.
AI-based applications will replace radiologists in some areas, the physicist Bram van Ginneken predicts. ‘The profession of radiologist will change profoundly,’ predicts Gram van Ginneken, Professor of Medical Image Analysis at Radboud University Medical Centre. The cause is automatic image analysis by computers (first published in a paper in 1963) and deep learning.
In the next five to 10 years, artificial intelligence is likely to fundamentally transform diagnostic imaging. This will by no means replace radiologists, but rather help to meet the rising demand for imaging examinations, prevent diagnostic errors, and enable sustained productivity increases.
Emergency radiology is no longer a babbling field; professionalisation will bring more recognition to this young subspecialty, according to Elizabeth Dick, a London-based consultant, who will coordinate part of the new European Diploma in Emergency Radiology (EDER), the European Society of Radiology’s new tool. We interviewed the radiologist, who spoke of her daily practice and why she loves…
Radiographers are increasingly central to patient care, but the heterogeneous education and skills across Europe remain challenging. Dr Jonathan McNulty and Håkon Hjemly, of the European Federation of Radiographers Societies (EFRS), explained how they plan to improve radiographers’ visibility and work towards homogenising training across Europe, notably by launching a European Diploma in…
Radiation therapy often is used to treat cancer patients. Now, doctors at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have shown that radiation therapy — aimed directly at the heart — can be used to treat patients with a life-threatening heart rhythm. They treated five patients who had irregular heart rhythms, called ventricular tachycardia, at the School of Medicine. The patients…
Carestream shows imaging analytics software that can improve early detection rates for many conditions as part of its Clinical Collaboration Platform (CCP). This software can calculate liver density from a CT chest or abdomen study to detect a fatty liver; identify emphysema by detecting levels of trapped air in the lungs from a non-contrast CT chest study; and determine levels of coronary…
Lung cancer is the cancer that causes the highest mortality worldwide, claiming an estimated 1.7 million patients annually, with 270,000 of those deaths in Europe.
Using computed tomography (CT) to evaluate muscle health may help identify optimal treatments for older patients who fall and break their hips, a new study led by radiologists from UC Davis and Wake Forest Baptist medical centers has found.
It is a collaboration that could push vascular imaging to a new level.
Menarini-Silicon Biosystems announced the company’s DEPArray single-cell isolation technology played a key role in a study conducted by researchers from The University of Manchester to develop a model for predicting whether small-cell lung cancer patients will be sensitive or resistant to initial chemotherapy treatment.
Samsung Electronics showcases the GM85 Digital Radiography (DR) system which received 510(k) FDA clearance November 17 for the US market, at the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) 2016 Annual Meeting at McCormick Place in Chicago.
In imaging diagnostics computers are taking over – well, not quite, but they might soon play an important role, according to Professor Hans-Ulrich Kauczor, Medical Director of the Clinic of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology at University Hospital Heidelberg. Meeting with European Hospital, he discussed an EU-funded project to assess malignancy in pulmonary nodules and its implications for…
Over 3.5 million cardiac catheterisations are performed in Europe each year. A study jointly conducted by radiologists and cardiologists at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin and published in the latest issue of The BMJ compares CT with cardiac catheterisation in patients with atypical chest pain and suspected coronary artery disease (CAD). Please find below a few details regarding the…
Resuscitation is always a desperate attempt by an entire team to save a human life. If a reversible cause can be discovered, a patient’s chances of survival increase considerably. All medics therefore know the ‘4 Hs’ and ‘HITS’. Report: Brigitte Dinkloh
As a leading global provider of both diagnostic imaging and analytical instrumentation technologies, Shimadzu offers broad expertise in medical imaging and mass spectrometry detection platforms helping to deliver a measurable impact on healthcare and diagnosis. The company is the perfect partner for transformational technologies to accelerate diagnosis.
Since launching Somatom Definition in 2005, Siemens has continued to develop Dual Source technology in order to overcome the remaining challenges in computed tomography. This significant development has made it possible to produce diagnostic images of a patient’s beating heart and coronary vessels without having to artificially lower their heart rate, for example. Scanning speeds that were…
The first thing to know about FIRST is how easy it is to use. For clinicians the system makes ultra-low-dose iterative reconstruction simple, an automated process that fits seamlessly into daily workflow, Toshiba reports.
Lung ultrasound has been shown to be highly effective and safe for diagnosing pneumonia in children and a potential substitute for chest X-ray, according to a study conducted at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
The current political framework changes healthcare structures and competitive dynamics for medical services providers. These issues were raised at the 11th Management and Strategy Congress MARA (Management in Radiology) in Bonn, in autumn 2015. Dr. Martin Maurer, one of the congress organisers, explained: ‘The objective of the MARA Congress is not to hold pretty lectures but primarily to…
Interstitial lung diseases (ILD) are rare – yet they are far more difficult to diagnose and highly variable. Professor Julien Dinkel, consultant at the Institute of Clinical Radiology, Ludwig Maximilian University Hospital in Munich, deals with these rarities.
Impacting on clinical decisions. Accelerating clinical routine. Following the release of its new Version 6 software upgrade for the Aplio Platinum Series ultrasound system, Toshiba has received high marks for the enhanced functions and performance from practitioners, each offering specific insights into how they are applying the technology.
A new 3D computer modeling system may significantly improve a surgeon's ability to select the best sized donor heart for children receiving heart transplants, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2015.
Cardiac catheterisation is the gold standard for diagnosing coronary artery disease (CAD), the main cause of death worldwide. More than 3.5 million invasive coronary angiographies (ICAs) are performed in the European Union each year, tendency rising. Nearly 60 percent of these minimal invasive examinations do not result in further treatment, since the patients do not have obstructive epicardial…
Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the major killer worldwide. Its early detection can save the lives of many. Computed tomography (CT) has shown tremendous results in this area, but its advantage over more invasive techniques remains to be demonstrated, especially in patients with low to moderate risk.
Philips Minicare delivers rule-in/rule-out readings for heart attacks in 10 minutes. It takes a lot of hard work to make things easy. Biomedical experts at Royal Philips have spent more than 10 years developing a simple test for the emergency department that, in less than 10 minutes, may indicate whether a patient suffering chest pains is having a heart attack.
Imaging modality complements a stress test in diagnosing the aetiology of chest pain, according to an expert speaking at the International Conference on Nuclear Cardiology and Cardiac CT (ICNC) held this May in Madrid.
The German care system for patients with acute and unspecific chest pain is unique in Europe. The closely knit and countrywide network of accredited Chest Pain Units (CPUs) ensures fast and targeted diagnosis of acute cardiac events. The German CPUs may soon serve as a blueprint for other European countries. The German Cardiac Society (DGK) has already accredited the first institutions – others…
Many NHS hospitals in the United Kingdom have established Rapid Access Chest Pain Clinics (RACPC) to work in tandem with them in offering primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) – the gold standard treatment for heart attacks – 24 hours a day. Report: Mark Nicholls
The Koning Breast CT (KBCT) system, which has been granted FDA approval, provides 3D breast of the entire breast from any orientation for diagnoses.
Every European knows how differences can boost cultural diversity and open unexpected perspectives – but, when it comes to having a homogeneous standard of care, they can become an absolute nightmare.
Imaging procedures are rarely used to diagnose and treat asthma – but this may well change in the future.
Some time this year, exact date unknown, Google Glass – a miniature computer attached to a pair of glasses – is expected to make its consumer debut.
About four years ago, Samsung Electronics Co. – specialist in electronic components and mobile phone sets, was recognised by its revenues as the world’s largest IT company, displacing Apple Inc.
For the sixth time, Alain Blum MD has invited the French CT community to Nancy to attend a symposium on multi-detector CT. The last invitations, two years back, drew several hundred radiologists and every CT manufacturer to Nancy for two days of debate, discussion and demonstrations.
Starting in the mid-1990’s, PACS technology revolutionised radiology departments. Now, some 20 years later, intelligent virtual assistant (IVA) technology is expected to do the same.
Screening for lung cancer saves lives. This fact has been documented by outcomes of the U.S. National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) which showed a 20% reduction in lung cancer-specific deaths in patients who had a chest CT screening. What is controversial is how to establish the radiology resources needed to perform exams for all the people who need it and then how to pay for the exams.
Somatom Force – the new computer tomograph (CT) from Siemens – recently had its first public presentation worldwide at the University Medical Centre Mannheim, Germany.
A joint meeting combining the Euroson and Three Countries congresses creates a veritable European summit on the state-of-the-art in ultrasound
Loading high performance functions on highly portable ultrasound systems puts life-saving tools in the hands of trauma physicians, John Brosky reports.
In a Special Focus Session, experts addressed the necessity to perform palliative interventional techniques in cancer treatment and they insisted that interventional radiologists should become more than just technicians.
Modern imaging techniques greatly enhance the treatment selection
CT scanners now nicely cover morphology. The challenge is moving to CT functional imaging without frying patients
Study described in The New England Journal of Medicine is the first to show cause-and-effect relationship between a gene variant and calcium deposits on the aortic valve.
It lasted forty years – but now it’s over – that Golden Age of radiology and medical imaging is surrendering under technology stagnation and imaging issues such as the growing rejection of unnecessary public use. The field is now subject to radical change, declared Professor Stephen R Baker MD M.Phil, from the UMDNJ New Jersey Medical School in Newark, New Jersey USA, speaking at this…
Adding micro-bubbles to the blood lights up the body for ultrasound scanners. Non-invasive, non-toxic and low-cost, these examinations present a disruptive, readily accessible technology for diagnosing disease. John Brosky reports
Cardiology is playing an increasingly important role in today’s healthcare environment and, as a direct result, cardiologists are facing new challenges almost every day. Addressing the need of improving clinician confidence and diagnostic accuracy, Toshiba Medical Systems Europe presented two symposia on the first day of the European Congress of Cardiology, to be held in Munich, Germany, 25-28…
Incorporating coronary CT angiography (CCTA) into the initial evaluation of low-risk patients coming to hospital emergency departments (EDs) with chest pain appears to reduce the time patients spend in the hospital without incurring additional costs or exposing patients to significant risks. The report of a study conducted at nine U.S. hospitals appears in the New England Journal of Medicine.
To avoid any misunderstanding, ten years from today CT and MRI will still be the pillars of lung imaging. However, Hans-Ulrich Kauczor, Professor of Radiology and Medical Director of the radiology clinic at Heidelberg University Hospital, is convinced the emphasis will have changed.
Despite some decline in cigarette consumption during the last decades, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) remains a major public health concern. COPD is among the top five leading causes of chronic morbidity and mortality in the US and in Europe. Nevertheless, COPD is substantially underdiagnosed.
After breast screening and prostate screening there is currently a lively discussion around the introduction of a lung cancer screening programme in Europe. Study results from the US appear to back up the supporters of this early detection of cancer for smokers. Prof. Dr Jürgen Biederer, Consultant and head of the Division of Pulmonary Radiology at the Department of Diagnostic and Interventional…
If you are new to the ESTI meeting, a resident or a junior in the radiology group, then this is the course you do not want to miss,” says Katharina Marten-Engelke. On Saturday morning, she will moderate a course on HRCT basics from some of the leading experts in the field to provide an overview. The second half of the two-hour course promises to be challenging, even for very experienced…
Suspicion of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in a pregnant patient will quickly bring a radiologist to a choice, where the next step holds potentially significant consequences for both the mother and unborn child.
So close yet so far away! A fitting description of many diagnostic examinations of heart and lungs. Modern imaging modalities allow these two neighbouring organs to be evaluated together, nevertheless it is rarely done.
“The powerful capabilities for thoracic imaging can often be sufficient to make a diagnosis to treat the patient,” notes Philippe Grenier, MD. If CT findings, for example, are typical for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, there should no longer a need for a biopsy, which is good for the patient.
Despite the increasing capabilities of CT to detect or identify disease, fungal infections continue to elude diagnosis by imaging. Paradoxically, a CT examination has been demonstrated to be a powerful tool, helping to identify a probability of infection among immuno-compromised patients early enough to effectively treat the condition.
When Lorenzo Bonomo, MD, first highlighted the growing importance of imaging for the staging of lung cancers, as the leading author of a highly regarded paper published in European Radiology, it was 1996. At that time the TMN system of descriptors for classification of lung cancers was in its 4th Edition, endorsed by professional societies worldwide, based exclusively though on a single database.
Imaging of the chest is the most common radiological examination worldwide. With the incidence of respiratory problems and lung cancer growing, all radiologists should be familiar with the appropriate imaging protocols. In a field dominated by chest x-ray (CXR) and CT, controlling radiation dose is mandatory.
Findings from the landmark National Lung screening Trial (NLST) continue to make waves in the United States, and increasingly around the world. The principal investigator for the component of the NLST sponsored by the American College of Radiology Imaging Network (ACRIN), Denise Aberle, MD, said the NLST can provide a road map for public policy regarding lung cancer screening, though she cautions…
Computed tomography (CT) has become central to the diagnosis and characterisation of coronary artery disease (CAD) and, in the future, could even supplant invasive coronary angiography as the technology increases sensitivity.
They examine the structure of the heart muscle with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or evaluate the status of the coronary vessels with computed tomography (CT): radiologists increasingly use imaging methods to prevent or to assess cardiac diseases.
Recent years have seen growing awareness among radiologists about the radiation burden delivered by computed tomography. And the amount of exposure is continuing to grow, despite the ability of modern CT scanners to provide good image quality at lower dose.
MRI: Although an area of constant debate, this is becoming a widely accepted clinical modality in Europe. However, researchers in The Netherlands have shown that performing pre-operative breast MRI in all women with invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) can reduce the need for re-excision.
Education and science are not the only exciting aspects of the European Congress of Radiology; the Vienna venue is also a stage on which companies can introduce novel concepts in medical imaging. Following one product’s world premiere during the RSNA 2011 in Chicago, the Echelon Oval 1.5-T MR system is now debuting before a European audience at the ECR 2012.
Much has changed for medical device manufacturers. Take scanner development; whereas the aim has long been to increase multi-slices, produce higher field strengths and sharper images, optimise the ergonomics and then launch the new product at a specific group of customers, in recent years this approach became insufficient.
Point of care technologies (POCT) have an important, quality enhancing, risk-reducing and cost-impacting role within the extremely time-critical medical decision structures of a central Accident and Emergency department, says Professor Wilfried von Eiff, Centre for Hospital Management, University of Muenster, Germany.
Acute myocardial Infarction (AMI) is a major cause of death and disability. Worldwide, one in eight patients die of an ischemic heart disease. Its rapid and accurate diagnosis is critical for the initiation of effective evidence based medical management, including early revascularization, but is still an unmet clinical need. The gradual implementation of high-sensitive cardiac troponins (hs-cTnT)…
World of Ultrasound met Prof. Ioan Sporea, Prof. Gebhard Mathis and Prof. Byung Ihn Choi to ask them three questions.
High flexibility and live conditions contribute towards the high popularity of image-guided interventions, now performed under ultrasound control in 80-90% of cases. However, although minimally-invasive examinations are based on high standards of medical safety, complications can arise that could ultimately lead to litigation. Thus, experienced ultrasound operators would be wise to know the…
Dr Helmut Prosch, at the University Clinic for Radio-Diagnostics, Vienna, Austria, is examining the role of imaging in lung cancer diagnosis and staging. The key message of his presentation in the session EUS and EBUS vs. CT, MR and PET-CT in the staging of lung cancer is that the modalities do not compete with one another – as the title suggests – but are perfectly complimentary in the…
Stroke, breast cancer detection, sports medicine – the clinical programme is an impressive illustration of this year’s congress theme: Radiology is diversity. Florian Schneider asked the joint congress Presidents, Professor Bernd Hamm (Berlin) and Professor Walter Hruby (Vienna) to highlight the major topics at this, the largest medical imaging event (attendance around 7,000) in the…
Michael Maher, Professor of Radiology at the University Collage, Cork, Ireland, produced an answer to during a GE Healthcare Lunch Symposium at the European Congress of Radiology this March. It is 1.2 millisievert – at least for abdominal CT scans of Crohn’s disease patients.
Whether it’s functional imaging via MRI or CT, dynamic angiography examinations or volume tomography -- new examination procedures deliver more, but also require more. The annual data increase in hospitals is 20-30% and the resulting requirements for the necessary storage capacity, or for digital data transfer, present a serious challenge. Accordingly, there is considerable interest in…
Bedside testing of parameters has been introduced in clinical practice much earlier than laboratory testing: In past centuries, not only were temperature or pulse rate taken at the point of care (POC), but also qualitative blood or urine analysis were performed right next to a patient’s bed
The risk of developing radiation-induced cancer from computed tomography (CT) may be lower than previously thought, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).
The United Kingdom’s diagnostic imaging departments are not only dealing with an increasing workload of over 10% per annum but also with the growing sophistication of MR and CT scanners. They need and are looking for solutions to deal with an almost exponential data explosion. This daily overload has to be managed in telemedicine network data sharing environments as well as in long-term…
It’s been around for decades, re-emerged in the ’90s and, today, experts see a bright future for tomosynthesis technology. Thus its progress and future developments, plus specialist uses (e.g. breast) will be a particular feature at the Radiological Society of North America scientific assembly and annual meeting in Chicago this year.
To make today’s cardiac CT examinations even safer, Toshiba introduces new, revolutionary “Adaptive Iterative Dose Reduction (AIDR)” technology that lowers the radiation dose to the patient by up to 75% compared to conventional scanners.
The lungs had to be regarded as the black hole for MRI for a long time. However, since the introduction of substantial improvements in hardware and scanner technology, there is certainly light at the end of the tunnel. MRI offers two main advantages for the diagnostic pathways for pulmonary diseases applied today.
A large proportion of patients who undergo abdominal/pelvic computed tomography (CT) receive unindicated and unnecessary additional image acquisition resulting in excess, avoidable radiation exposure, according to a study presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).
Two members of the Heart Center at the University of Leipzig teamed up during Medica for a tour de force presentation on Future Trends in Cardiac Surgery. "The aim of the game is opening the chest through little keyholes to operate in the most minimally invasive way possible and avoid sternotomy," said Prof. Friedrich Mohr, Program Director at the Leipzig Heart Center, who review new surgical…
There's no reason to forgo a needed radiation-based medical procedure because of concerns about cancer risk, according to the October issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter. While the volume of radiation-based tests and procedures has increased in the past three decades, scientists haven't proven that the low doses of radiation used in medical settings actually increase cancer risk.
Several health insurers now flag patients who have either exceeded a radiation dose threshold or have had over five CT examinations to the most vulnerable body areas.
Emphasising the crucial partnership of radiologists and urologists in the treatment of prostate cancer, Professor Arnulf Stenzl, Medical Director of Urology at the Tübingen University Hospital, explained that, throughout the phases of prostate cancer diagnosis and therapy - from primary diagnosis onward - imaging is indispensable.
From this October, a newly launched, web-based cardiology PACS will change the workload of cardiologists at Groene Hart Ziekenhuis, in The Netherlands, making the 500-bed hospital one of Europe's first to benefit from this valuable system that consolidates isolated cardiac lab systems into one centralised solution.
The Dienst Medische Beeldvorming (Medical Imaging Department) at Groeninge General Hospital, in Kortrijk, Belgium, which produces 150,000 radiology reports annually on four different sites, is totally filmless and paperless, relying on Barco's diagnostic display technology for the past decade. This year, due to its near proximity to Barco's headquarters, the hospital is to become a reference site…
As in every medical field, children have special needs in radiology. Increasingly aware of this - and just as they must adapt scanners for increasing numbers of obese patients - manufacturers are sharing lively exchanges with practitioners to develop the most advanced equipment available for very small patients. At the Medical University in Graz, Austria, which has taken a lead in this…
Although the majority of the 18,000 participants at ECR 2009 were radiologists, medical writer Rob Skelding reports that a specific session for radiographers was well attended. The event also underlined the value of their interpretive skills
Stefan G Ruehm, Kambiz Nael, Derek Lohan and Henrik J Michaely* describe impressive images that benefit patient treatment
In the 30 years since the overthrow of its last Shah (1979) Iranian radiologists have been welcome speakers and research presenters at the European Congress of Radiology (ECR).
From 2000 to 2007, Israeli hospitals have treated the victims of 148 terrorist attacks.
Only few imaging modalities lend themselves to imaging of the lungs. Conventional chest radiography is the most commonly used tool in the investigation of pulmonary pathology but yields the perhaps most difficult, plain radiographs to interpret.
'How do you treat the HIV-positive, diabetic, schizophrenic patient presenting with chest pain? By making the necessary information available for personalised medicine'
A new volumetric X-ray application, showcased at the European Congress of Radiology in Vienna, Austria, provides physicians with multiple high-resolution slice images of the human anatomy, including the chest, abdomen, extemities and spine.
Over the last three decades CT has become a premier diagnostic tool for the evaluation of the acute patient. Over the past ten years in Israel, we have seen an overwhelming increase in the volume of CT examinations in the emergency department (ED).
Competitive or complementary? By Florian Schwarz BS, Balazs Ruzsics MD PhD and U. Joseph Schoepf MD, of the Radiology and Medicine Departments, at the Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, USA.
A promising mammography screening technology By Andrew Smith PhD, principal scientist at Hologic, Inc. in Bedford, Mass, is involved in research and development of digital imaging systems.
Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc. introduced the world's first dynamic volume computed tomography system the AquilionONE. This advanced diagnostic imaging system revolutionizes can help reduce diagnosis time for life threatening diseases like stroke and heart disease from days and hours to mere minutes.
The Cardiocentro Ticino in Lugano, Switzerland ' a tertiary care centre specialising in treating patients with coronary artery disease ' carries out around 300 major operations and 2,000 invasive coronary angiographies annually. Six months ago, the hospital acquired state-of-the art equipment, including GE's LightSpeed VCT XT.
About 27,000 healthcare professionals from over 100 countries attended RSNA 2006. These included over 5,000 European clinicians. In addition, over 28,000 people from non-US countries manned about 750 exhibition stands.
Lung cancer is the main cause of deaths due to cancer in human males and the incidence is constantly increasing. A cure rate of only 10% has been reported because most neoplastic lesions are diagnosed too late. However, when lung cancer is diagnosed early and surgical resection performed (stage 1 cancer), 5-year survival is significantly improved and may reach 70%.
'If you want to find a needle in a haystack, X-ray is a good tool. Now imagine how much easer that would be if the needle could glow.'
Traditionally, radiography systems have an X-ray tube at one end, film-screen cassette or detector at the other, a table between, and perhaps a mounted assembly on a U-arm or chest stand.
Nowadays, no radiology conference would be complete without a discussion on turf battles. The rapid development and broad acceptance of cardiac CT has exceeded expectations, and both radiologists and cardiologists are incorporating this technology into their practices. Educational courses on cardiac CT are in high demand and well attended by both radiologists and cardiologists.
Prof. Stehphan Achenbach about his experience with the dual source CT and its impact on cardiac diagnostics.
In our last issue we featured the Future Operating Room Project developed at St Olavs Hospital, University Hospital of Trondheim, Norway, a collaboration between the hospital and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. There, highly promising research on navigation is being carried out in co-peration with the research foundation Sintef Health Research. Professor of Surgery Hans O…
The Society for Computer Applications in Radiology (SCAR) has undergone a name change. SCAR is now the Society for Imaging Informatics in Medicine (SIIM).
Optical imaging stands on the threshold of a vast array of imaging uses, writes Professor Eric N C Milne MD FRCR FRCP, Professor Emeritus of Radiology and Medicine, University of California Irvine, and Director of Clinical Research, Imaging Diagnostic Systems Inc. `Presently, its greatest worth lies in higher sensitivity for the dense breast. It detects many more occult cancers than conventional…
Following enthusiastic reactions to the Aquilion Large Bore (LB) scanner, when shown as a work in progress at last year's ECR, and with orders in hand, Toshiba has commenced production.