Many procedures in diagnostic imaging would be impossible without contrast agents: they open up insights into vascular structures, show stenoses, inflammations, aneurysms and more. However, reports about side effects – especially with gadolinium-based contrast media – cause uncertainty among many patients.
A new type of contrast agent for use in both MRI and PET imaging has the potential to significantly enhance diagnosis and subsequent treatment, particularly for kidney diseases and tumors.
Diagnosing lung conditions such as pulmonary embolism is more challengenging when a patient cannot tolerate contrast agents. Now, a new software solution is addressing the issue.
Diamond dust could be used in MR imaging, a surprising find shows. The nanometer-sized particles could serve as an alternative to the controversial contrast agent gadolinium.
AI-enhanced CT scans can accurately evaluate cardiovascular risk without contrast media, a new study shows. The technique uses coronary calcium and heart chamber size as markers for disease detection.
A three-part ‘multiparametric’ MRI of the prostate is standard of care in the UK for patients suspected of having prostate cancer. Now, a study shows two-part scans are sufficient for diagnosis.
Striking the balance between diagnostic efficacy and patient safety remains critical when utilising iodinated contrast media to deliver the best imaging outcomes. While playing a crucial role in diagnosis and treatment of disease, CT expert Efthimios Agadakos believes the medical profession has a duty to do its utmost to minimize patient risk from contrast media.
The Accutron CT-D Vision is the next generation of Medtron AG’s leading CT contrast media injector. Focusing on the user’s needs, the latest stage of development of the Accutron CT-D improves the usability of the CT injector and optimizes its integration into the radiological environment.
Radiologists called for action to reduce the release of contrast media in the hospital’s wastewater after contrast-enhanced examinations in a dedicated session at ECR 2023.
A new imaging method devised by German researchers offers a fast and cost-effective way to observe abnormal metabolic processes live in the MRI scanner.
University of Ottawa scientists have introduced a metal-free MRI dye capable of mapping kidney function with unprecedented accuracy — a promising technique for more personalized care.
Iodinated contrast media (ICM) enhance CT imaging, but its single-dose packaging is increasingly proving at odds with modern, more sustainable imaging practices. New award-winning research by a radiology resident and faculty members at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, proposes a promising alternative: A switch from using single-dose injectable contrast media kits to…
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.
The Accutron CT-D Vision is the next generation of the leading contrast agent injector for computed tomography from Medtron AG. Focusing on the needs of the user, the latest development stage of the Accutron CT-D improves the usability of the CT double-piston contrast agent injector and optimizes its integration into the radiological environment.
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.
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…
A research team has investigated how contrast agents disperse inside cells. This could improve the assessment and further development of these agents and contribute to future medical diagnostics.
A new understanding of the 'swallow-tail', an anatomical landmark in the brain, could pave the way for earlier detection of Parkinson's disease.
Researchers are seeking alternatives to gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs) to help raise levels of patient safety. An open hybrid session at ECR in Vienna heard how research across several centres has been examining the options of new approaches to reduce reliance on GBCAs.
Contrast-enhanced mammography (CEM) has gone a long way since it was first approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2011. An Italian expert explained how useful the modality has become in breast imaging in a dedicated course at ECR 2022.
