Womens Imaging

Women’s imaging encompasses many radiology procedures related to women and the diseases that are most prevalent to women such as breast cancer or gynecological issues. Mammogram, breast ultrasound, breast MRI and breast biopsy are the most commonly used procedures.

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Symptom-detected breast cancers more likely to require mastectomy, chemotherapy

New research adds to the “strong evidence” supporting screening guidelines and highlights the importance of women adhering to clinical recommendations. 

BPE on contrast-enhanced mammograms.

Contrast-enhanced mammography significantly improves early cancer detection

New trial results suggest CEM could enhance breast cancer detection beyond DBT exams when patients are faced with barriers to obtaining an MRI.

shocked surprised social media post defamation

ChatGPT's medical advice may be deterring women from necessary imaging

The LLM’s responses may be misleading in certain situations, which could pose problems for patients who trust the medical advice it provides.

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.

AI detects incidental breast lesions on routine CT scans

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. 

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Symptom-detected breast cancers nearly 7 times more likely to be diagnosed at advanced stage

Advances in treatment are often credited with improving breast cancer outcomes, but new findings suggest the decrease in mortality may actually be due to improved screening initiatives. 

CT identifies postpartum hemorrhage resistant to treatment

New findings support dynamic CT use in treatment-resistant postpartum hemorrhage

CT for severe PPH cases could help identify the source of bleeding with greater accuracy, leading to improved management and outcomes. 

Example of the four types of breast tissue density. The density of fibroglandular tissue inside the breast impacts the ability to easily see cancers. Cancers are very easy to spot in fatty breasts, but are almost impossible to find in extremely dense breasts. These examples show craniocaudal mammogram findings characterized as almost entirely fatty (far left), scattered areas of fibroglandular density (second from left), heterogeneously dense (second from right), and extremely dense (far right). RSNA

Which exam is best for supplemental imaging of women with dense breast tissue?

It is widely agreed that women with dense breast tissue should undergo supplemental imaging in addition to their routine mammogram screening, but the jury is still out on which modality is best for cancer detection in this group. 

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"Using AI for tasks like CAC detection can help shift medicine from a reactive approach to the proactive prevention of disease," one researcher said.

Former American Society of Echocardiography president and well-known cardiac ultrasound pioneer Roberto Lang, MD, died at the age of 73. He helped develop 3D echo technology that is now used by care teams on a daily basis.

Imaging and radiology are in a transition right now as more departments and practices are choosing to bring their 3D labs in-house.