Strategies for radiation dose reduction in vascular CT
Radiation dose reduction in CT angiography can be achieved by reducing the kV settings, reducing the tube voltage, the tube current and by using iterative reconstruction algorithms.
CT
Technology meets philosophy: dose optimisation
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.
Looking beyond the lungs: don’t forget the cardiac structures!
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 future of thoracic imaging
Will MRI become routine modality? Today, thoracic MRI is rarely performed in Europe. But this will change over the next decade, predicts Professor Hans-Ulrich Kauczor, Medical Director of the Radiology Clinic at University Hospital Heidelberg. He expects Germany to be at the forefront of this development because MRI technology, despite the high costs, is already widely used here and because CT…
Demystifying pulmonary thromboembolism can change patient management
“With all that has been published in the past year on this subject, we will not lack interesting things to highlight and discuss during this session,” said Martine Remy-Jardin, MD, Head of Cardio-Thoracic Imaging at the University Centre of Lille, who will present an update on CT Imaging for thromboembolic disease on Friday afternoon at ESTI 2012.
Shared standards critical in lung cancer screening
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…
Early detection of fungal infection critical for immunocompromised patients
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.
CT use increases for CAD diagnosis
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.
Imaging hip joint replacement
Ultrasound and radiography are helping to identify causes of failures and patient pain from hip joint replacements.
Working at the heart of Arizona Heart
Among the area’s top cardiac and vascular disease specialist hospitals, Arizona Heart has invested in several technological advancements over the past year, including Ziehm Imaging’s digital flat panel C-arms for its three advanced technology suites.
Radiologists reassert role in assessing blunt trauma
This year the European Society of Radiology formally recognized Emergency Radiology (ESR) as a sub-specialty putting its full support behind this critical practice area with a scientific subcommittee to encourage specialized research.
Strategies for radiation dose reduction in contrast enhanced CT
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.
Agfa unveils new table-top CR
New CR 10-X is a cost-effective entry into computed radiography, without compromising on image quality. Robust yet easy-to-install and maintain solution, offering streamlined and integrated workflow.
MRI will improve the treatment of wake-up strokes
Neurointensivists need to act quickly and carefully – as well as consider later complications or the psychological impact on stroke victims. This potentially debilitating disease was a central discussion among 1,400 participants from 10 countries during the three-day 29th Annual Conference of Neurointensive Medicine (ANIM), an event hosted in January by The German Society for Neuro-Intensive…
Traumatic brain injury: The silent epidemic
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the world’s biggest public health problems. In the USA, for example, about 1.7 million people sustain TBI every year, costing healthcare $76.5 billion. Yet, the public knows little of the significance of TBI and also it once received the nickname ‘silent epidemic’ by the American Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
What´s new in breast MRI, tomosynthesis and elastography?
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.
What´s new in neuroradiology and interventional radiology?
When scanning seizures, Dr Walter Kucharczyk, director of MRI at Toronto General Hospital, believes that MRI still remains the best imaging test to discover if there is an anatomic or structural abnormality that might account for a seizure.
The end of blooming effects
During the RSNA 2011, Professor Uwe J Schoepf MD, was asked what will be the chosen procedure of the future in cardiac imaging, he answered without hesitation: ‘Definitely CT,’ and, the Director of Cardiovascular Imaging at the Medical University Charleston, South Carolina.
Classifying COPD
Many smokers continue to use tobacco despite high taxes and drastic health warnings. Indeed, in industrialised countries, tobacco-related mortality rates or illnesses are increasing. These include chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the fourth leading cause of death in adults – and rising.
Drug smugglers in the gantry
Security checks – the necessary evil for air and land travellers. While luggage scans and body pat-downs are ubiquitous, drug smugglers have increasingly used their own bodies as a vessel to conceal and transport their goods.
Successful PACS integration in Mauritius
Cardiovascular surgeon Dr Miodrag Todorovic explains how an island hospital – which is a medical centre of excellence and regional reference centre – is further improving medical care for patients there and in six neighbouring states with the help of a new picture archiving system from Visus
Phase-contrast imaging will revolutionise X-rays
This may sound like science fiction, but computed tomography with reduced radiation exposure and the highest soft tissue contrast is likely to be a reality -- very soon. Named phase-contrast imaging, the method is an invention of Professor Franz Pfeiffer, Chair of Biomedical Physics at Munich Technical University, Germany. We asked him to explain the implications this development has for…
Iterative reconstruction
About two years ago iterative image reconstruction was officially introduced for CT imaging. Since then, no other technological innovation has raised more hope that the dose of X-ray based, cross sectional imaging can be significantly lowered. The possibilities of this procedure have not yet been exhausted.
Emergency radiology
The injury was as spectacular as it was ruesome. Struck by a train a male patient was brought to the emergency department in Munich, his right foot hanging on only by muscle and bloody tendons, the bone shattered.
New technique successfully dissolves blood clots in the brain and lowers risk of brain damage after stroke
Johns Hopkins neurologists report success with a new means of getting rid of potentially lethal blood clots in the brain safely without cutting through easily damaged brain tissue or removing large pieces of skull. The minimally invasive treatment, they report, increased the number of patients with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) who could function independently by 10 to 15 percent six months…