Medical Imaging

Physicians utilize medical imaging to see inside the body to diagnose and treat patients. This includes computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), X-ray, ultrasound, fluoroscopy, angiography, and the nuclear imaging modalities of PET and SPECT.

Single emergency department charts 90% uptick in CT use since 2015
The uptick came during a time when the number of ED episodes increased by only 8% at the same institution, with defensive medicine one possible driver.
ASNC speaks to members of Congress about major trends in cardiology
The American Society of Nuclear Cardiology made its voice heard, pushing for legislation to repeal Medicare payment cuts and tie payments to inflationary increases. Prior authorization and a proposed tariff on radioisotopes were also discussed.
AI-directed scan protocols cut back on unnecessary MRI sequences
Artificial intelligence could serve as an effective tool for determining which patients may need additional breast MRI sequences mid-protocol.
Insurer illegally forcing women to pay for breast imaging, class action lawsuit contends
Lauren Moody and her attorneys believe the damages against Oscar Health could climb to $30M when factoring in interest, attorney fees and fines.
AI detects twice as many incidental lesions as radiologists
Prior research has suggested that these incidental lesions turn out to be cancerous in up to 70% of cases, making their timely detection critical.

Novel oncologic PET tracer captures cell death

A new facet of cancer imaging targets apoptosis, the process of cell death, to help select and monitor anticancer therapies, according to a study published Aug. 15 in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

Quantitative PET required to avoid pitfalls of amyloid imaging over time

Variability in longitudinal standard uptake value ratios when imaging Alzheimer’s patients with C-11 PiB and other amyloid agents create inaccurate portraits of disease progression, warranting a fully quantitative PET protocol for long-term research, according to a study published online Aug 12 in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

FDG PET hot spots predict better prognosis in spinal surgery patients

Doctors can now tell how effective a surgery for degenerative cervical myelopathy will be based on how much FDG is taken up by the cervical spinal cord, according to research published online August 5 in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

FDG PET keeps tabs on lung oxygenation by quantifying pulmonary blood flow

In cases of acute lung injury, pulmonary blood flow (PBF) provides potentially critical information about lung aeration. An FDG PET method of compartmental modeling may quantify PBF by estimating regional fraction of blood, a breath of fresh air for pulmonary imaging, according to a study published August 1 in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

FLT and FMISO may lack FDG's interreader agreement for lung cancer

In an effort to hike up radiochemotherapy dose and improve lung cancer survival, oncologists have been looking for higher-precision alternatives to F-18 FDG PET, which experiences issues with tumor shrinkage and alterations in uptake during treatment. However, emerging F-18 labeled alternatives ﬂuorothymidine (FLT) and ﬂuoromisonidazole (FMISO) show relatively low interobserver agreement when characterizing tumor volumes and require special standardization, according to a French multi-center study published August 5 in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

Five major mental illnesses are genetically linked

Mental disorders including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depression have some common genetic variants that account for significant risk of crossover disease, according to research published August 11 in Nature Genetics.

CDI Acquires The MRI Centers of New England

The Minneapolis-based outpatient imaging center network Center for Diagnostic Imaging (CDI) has expanded its regional presence in Massachusetts with the acquisition of The MRI Centers of New England

IPPS Final Rule Cuts CT and MR Reimbursement

The CMS final rule on 2014 Medicare rates for the Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) cuts advanced imaging reimbursement through changing the cost-to-charge ratios for CT and MR services

Medical Imaging

Single emergency department charts 90% uptick in CT use since 2015

ASNC speaks to members of Congress about major trends in cardiology

AI-directed scan protocols cut back on unnecessary MRI sequences

Insurer illegally forcing women to pay for breast imaging, class action lawsuit contends

AI detects twice as many incidental lesions as radiologists