Radiology News
The Status of the Fourth Ventricle and Ambient Cisterns Predict Outcome in Moderate and Severe Traumatic Brain Injury
Computed tomography (CT) of the head has become the diagnostic tool of choice, particularly for moderate and severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). Various CT characteristics are associated with outcome, and may therefore be used as outcome predictors. One of the most prominent predictors appears to be the status of the basal cisterns. This study describes the prognostic value of the appearance of individual cisterns and ventricles in relation to that of the basal cisterns. Its results showed that the absence (complete obliteration), but also compression of the ambient cisterns and/or the fourth ventricle were strongly related to unfavorable outcome and death and emerged as the only significant outcome predictors after multivariate analysis.
Contrast-enhanced ultrasound is helpful in the differentiation of malignant and benign breast lesions
A study out of the European Journal of Radiology evaluate the significance of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) examination in differential diagnosis of malignant and benign breast lesions. Following SonoVue administration different perfusion phases could be identified. In the early phase, CEUS identified 91.1% of malignant tumors characterized by a claw-shaped enhancement, while 83.9% of benign tumors had a homogeneous enhancement, with a statistically significant difference between the two enhancement patterns. Moreover, contrast medium persistence in the late phase was helpful in the identification of benign and malignant tumors contrast medium was present in 88.9% of malignant tumors, while in only 9.7% of the benign tumors. The study showed that various parametric imaging color maps for peak intensity and time to peak were mostly suggestive of malignancy, while quite uniform peak intensity and time to peak of color maps were the characteristic of benign tumors. The study also found that malignant lesions presented with a higher maximum intensity signal than benign ones on the time–intensity curves.
NIH policy urges CT makers to track radiation dose
The National Institutes of Health plans to require that all makers of CT and other radiation-producing scanners used at NIH clinics have software that tracks a patient's radiation dose and logs it into an electronic medical record.The new policy arises from patient concerns about studies suggesting that repeated exposure to radiation from diagnostic tests may raise their risk of cancer, said Dr. David Bluemke, director of radiology and imaging sciences at the NIH Clinical Center. The policy was announced on Monday in the Journal of the American College of Radiology.
Radiation Dose Associated With Common Computed Tomography Examinations Varies Greatly By Institution
Archives of Internal Medicine Abstract
Use of computed tomography (CT) for diagnostic evaluation has increased dramatically over the past 2 decades. Even though CT is associated with substantially higher radiation exposure than conventional radiography, typical doses are not known. Radiation doses varied significantly between the different types of CT studies. The overall median effective doses ranged from 2 millisieverts (mSv) for a routine head CT scan to 31 mSv for a multiphase abdomen and pelvis CT scan. Within each type of CT study, effective dose varied significantly within and across institutions, with a mean 13-fold variation between the highest and lowest dose for each study type.
CT, Ultrasound Equivalent in Pediatric Pneumonia
In pediatric patients with complicated pneumonia, chest ultrasound works as well as CT scanning to detect complications such as loculated pleural effusion, lung necrosis, or lung abscess, researchers said. In a retrospective cohort of children with complicated pneumonia and parapneumonic effusion, the two imaging methods were similar in their ability to detect loculated effusion and lung necrosis or abscess, according to Terry Levin, MD, of Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, and colleagues.
Scans Shed New Light on Concussions
Researchers say they've discovered a new way to detect evidence of brain damage after concussions, potentially paving the way toward more effective treatments for head injuries. By detecting damage from concussions early with the help of the latest brain scanning technology, doctors could begin cognitive rehabilitation treatment and prevent complications, study author Dr. Michael Lipton, an associate director of the Gruss Magnetic Resonance Research Center at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, explained in a university news release.
Younger Americans overexposed to radiation risk
Younger Americans are being exposed to worrisome amounts of radiation from medical scans that increase their risk of cancer, U.S. researchers said on Wednesday. They said the cumulative risk of repeated exposure to radiation from medical scans is a public health threat that needs to be addressed.
Collateral Vessels on CT Angiography Predict Outcome in Acute Ischemic Stroke
Stroke
Despite the abundance of emerging multimodal imaging techniques in the field of stroke, there is a paucity of data demonstrating a strong correlation between imaging findings and clinical outcome. Prehospital symptoms were unrelated to occlusion or collateral status. In cases, 37.5% imaged within 1 hour were found to have diminished collaterals versus 12.1% imaged at 12 to 24 hours (P=0.047). No difference in worsening was seen between cases and control subjects with adequate collaterals, but cases with diminished sylvian and leptomeningeal collaterals experienced greater risk of worsening compared with control subjects measured either by admission to discharge.
MRI touted as endoscopic alternative for Crohn’s disease
Positive study findings have led Spanish researchers to propose that magnetic resonance (MR) could be used as an alternative to endoscopy to assess the activity and severity of ileocolonic Crohn’s disease (CD). Quantitative MR changes such as wall thickening, contrast signal intensity, and relative contrast enhancement closely paralleled the severity of endoscopic lesions, say J Panes (Hospital Clinic of Barcelona) and colleagues.
The Role of the Meniscus in Knee Osteoarthritis: a Cause or Consequence?
The Radiologic Clinics of North America
A meniscal tear can lead to knee osteoarthritis (OA), but knee OA can also lead to a spontaneous meniscal tear through breakdown and weakening of meniscal structure. A degenerative meniscal lesion in the middle-aged or older patient could suggest early stage knee OA and should be treated accordingly. Surgical resection of nonobstructive degenerate lesions may only remove evidence of the disorder while the OA and associated symptoms proceeds.
