Cardiac Imaging

While cardiac ultrasound is the widely used imaging modality for heart assessments, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and nuclear imaging are also used and are often complimentary, each offering specific details about the heart other modalities cannot. For this reason the clinical question being asked often determines the imaging test that will be used.

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SHINE gains exclusive license for Lu-177 radioisotope production

Janesville, Wisconsin-based SHINE Medical Technologies has announced an agreement with the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the CAS (IOCB Prague), gaining exclusive rights over an innovation to produce lutetium-177 (Lu-177).

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Wait times for heart scans reach 5-year highs in Winnipeg

At one institution wait times for myocardial perfusion tests have jumped from six to 18 weeks in less than a year, according to data from Manitoba Health.

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CTA method lowers radiation exposure, maintains image quality for suspected stroke patients

A CT angiography (CTA) approach with "drastically" lowered tube currents combined with iterative construction reduced radiation exposure and maintained image quality in patients with suspected acute stroke, reported authors of a recent study published in the American Journal of Roentgenology.

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Can automated plaque analysis help the case for CCTA?

“For CCTA to enter the mainstream of diagnostic clinical care, it is necessary to decrease observer variability and automate key parts of the interpretive process to manage the subjectivity, time-consuming nature, and variability of reader interpretation,” wrote authors of a new study published in the European Journal of Radiology.

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CV programs struggling to keep up with growing demand for cardio-oncologists

Cardio-oncology has emerged as an area of rapid growth in the medical community in recent years, owing in large part to an increasing population of cancer survivors.

What guideline-discordant ordering for CT pulmonary angiography studies can reveal

Nearly a quarter of CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA) orders did not align with scoring system guidelines for evaluating potential pulmonary embolism (PE) in the emergency department, according to a single-center study published in the Journal of the American College of Radiology.

Coronary artery wall thickness is an independent marker for heart disease risk in women

Coronary artery wall thickness—identified on MRI—is an independent indicator for heart disease risk in women, reported authors of a new study published in the inaugural issue of Radiology: Cardiothoracic Imaging. The findings may serve as an opportunity for early intervention.

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Wide variations in cardiac stress testing, including imaging, plagues VA hospitals

“Quantifying facility-level variation in cardiac stress test utilization is important for healthcare systems seeking to improve the efficiency and quality of cardiovascular care,” wrote authors of a recent study published in JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging.

Around the web

Positron, a New York-based nuclear imaging company, will now provide Upbeat Cardiology Solutions with advanced PET/CT systems and services. 

The nuclear imaging isotope shortage of molybdenum-99 may be over now that the sidelined reactor is restarting. ASNC's president says PET and new SPECT technologies helped cardiac imaging labs better weather the storm.

CMS has more than doubled the CCTA payment rate from $175 to $357.13. The move, expected to have a significant impact on the utilization of cardiac CT, received immediate praise from imaging specialists.