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. 

Breast screening mammogram during the COVID pandemic. COVID significantly impacted breast imaging. Image courtesy of Novant Health

VIDEO: Impact of COVID on breast imaging

Connie Lehman, MD, PhD, chief of breast imaging, co-director of the Avon Comprehensive Breast Evaluation Center at the Massachusetts General Hospital, discusses the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic on breast screenings, increased cancer rates and issues with the vaccines causing false positives on mammograms.

Contrast-enhanced mammography uses iodine contrast injected into a patient and mammography system to image contrast uptake or areas of increased vascular activity, which is typical of cancers. This can help image through dense breast tissue to find cancers that are otherwise masked by dense breast tissue.

VIDEO: Why contrast enhance mammography might be the ideal supplemental imaging

Connie Lehman, MD, PhD, chief of breast imaging, co-director of the Avon Comprehensive Breast Evaluation Center at the Massachusetts General Hospital, explains why she thinks contrast-enhanced mammography will likely become the go-to supplemental imaging modality for women with dense breasts.

neck ultrasound thyroid

TI-RADS could help guide thyroid nodule biopsy decisions in children

ACR TI-RADS has previously been shown to lack sensitivity for distinguishing between benign and malignant thyroid lesions in pediatric patients.

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Digitized informed consent increases detection of critical 'red flags' prior to imaging exams

Digitized informed patient consent prior to contrast-enhanced CT exams has significant advantages over traditional paper consent forms, but it also has the unfortunate effect of leaving some of the most vulnerable patients behind.  

MRI radiomics could change the future of breast cancer treatment

Radiomics methodologies could change how care plans are managed for patients with breast cancer by identifying those most likely to benefit from specific treatments.

Tattoo ink can mimic breast cancer on mammography exams

"As the prevalence of females with tattoos increases, tattoo pigment needs to be considered as a potential differential diagnosis of breast calcification,” experts involved in the research suggested.

long covid lung CT

More than half of long COVID patients have abnormalities on chest imaging

Nodular patterns were the most commonly visualized abnormality, although several others were observed.

An example of commercially available artificial intelligence (AI) automated grading of breast density on mammograms from the vendor Densitas..

VIDEO: Role of AI in breast imaging with radiomics, detection of breast density and lesions

Connie Lehman, MD, chief of breast imaging, co-director of the Avon Comprehensive Breast Evaluation Center at Massachusetts General Hospital, discusses how artificial intelligence (AI) is being implemented in breast imaging.

Around the web

RBMA President Peter Moffatt discusses declining reimbursement rates, recruiting challenges and the role of artificial intelligence in transforming the industry.

Deepak Bhatt, MD, director of the Mount Sinai Fuster Heart Hospital and principal investigator of the TRANSFORM trial, explains an emerging technique for cardiac screening: combining coronary CT angiography with artificial intelligence for plaque analysis to create an approach similar to mammography.

A total of 16 cardiology practices from 12 states settled with the DOJ to resolve allegations they overbilled Medicare for imaging agents used to diagnose cardiovascular disease.