Diagnostic Imaging

Radiologists use diagnostic imaging to non-invasively look inside the body to help determine the causes of an injury or an illness, and confirm a diagnosis. Providers use many imaging modalities to do so, including CT, MRI, X-ray, Ultrasound, PET and more.

DBT detects earlier stage breast cancers in older women

In women 65 and older, digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) achieved a higher specificity for detecting breast cancer and identified the disease at an earlier stage compared to traditional 2D mammography.

April 2, 2019

Short-pulse ultrasound successfully delivers drugs across blood-brain barrier

A study published in Radiology on March 26 suggests rapid short-pulse ultrasound is as effective—and maybe more so—than standard and long-pulse therapy for delivering drugs across the blood-brain barrier.

March 28, 2019
image order

Imaging CDS raises order appropriateness for ED trainees, attendings alike

Clinical decision support (CDS) tools help trainee physicians in the emergency department order advanced imaging more appropriately. Then again, experienced physicians using the tools hit about the same appropriateness scores as the interns, residents and fellows.

March 27, 2019

FDA proposes significant updates to mammography regulations, including breast density reporting

The FDA announced Wednesday, March 27, that it is taking action to “modernize” breast cancer screening in the United States by amending the Mammography Quality Standards Act of 1992 with a new proposed rule.

March 27, 2019

Dense breast notification laws boost cancer detection rates, ultrasound use

Dense breast notification (DBN) laws that require recommending supplemental tests and cancer diagnosis after screening mammography boosted ultrasound use and cancer detection rates in a recent study of more than 1 million women across the U.S.

March 25, 2019
Having a Baby

fMRI shows male, female brains going separate ways in the womb

Using resting-state functional MRI (fMRI) to image the brains of human fetuses in utero, researchers have confirmed that functional connectivity differs between the sexes from very early on in neurodevelopment.

March 25, 2019
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CT overused in patients with dental infections

Nearly half of CT scans ordered for patients presenting with dental infections are unnecessary, according to work published in the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, exposing patients to excess costs and physical risk where a more low-impact exam would have been sufficient.

March 22, 2019

DCE-MRI helps diagnose, assess severity of acute pancreatitis

A preliminary study published in Academic Radiology March 15 suggests dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) can add value to the diagnosis of acute pancreatitis (AP) while subverting the use of perfusion CT, potentially paving the way for more irradiation-free analysis.

March 21, 2019