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. 

Ron Blankstein, MD, MSCCT, associate director, cardiovascular imaging program, director, cardiac computed tomography, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and professor of medicine, Harvard Medical School, was a co-author on the ACC 2021 Chest Pain Guidelines,[1] which now lists coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA or CTA) as a 1A level recommendation for front line imaging. He gave an overview of the guidelines during the 2022 Society of Cardiovascular CT (SCCT) meeting in July. #SCCT2022

VIDEO: The role of cardiac CT in the 2021 chest pain guidelines

Ron Blankstein, MD, associate director of the cardiovascular imaging program and director of the cardiac computed tomography program for Brigham and Women's Hospital, was a co-author on the ACC 2021 Chest Pain Guidelines, which now lists coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA or CTA) as a 1A level recommendation for frontline imaging. 

Ischemic stroke CT imaging. Images courtesy of RSNA

Experts highlight early ischemic signs on CT that can estimate onset of stroke

Experts involved in the research believe their findings could help to guide providers in making treatment decisions. 

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Research offers new guidance on managing architectural distortion visualized on DBT exams

Multiple areas of architectural distortion visualized on digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) exams are likely to produce high-risk pathology results. 

Have we been 'overdependent' on iodinated contrast? New paper calls into question prior practices before the shortage

"Ultimately, long-term studies are vital to parse out whether the absence of iodinated contrast media greatly affected patient outcomes or if we have been overdependent on ICM unnecessarily.” 

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The National Comprehensive Cancer Network has published new patient-friendly breast cancer screening guidelines

The new guidelines put emphasis on the age at which average-risk women should begin annual screening and breast assessments.

CT coronary artery calcium (CAC) scoring, also known as the Agatston score, to assess the risk a patient has for future heart attacks and help decide if a patient requires statins.

VIDEO: Current guidelines for the use of CT calcium scoring in preventive cardiology

Mike Shapiro, DO, MD, director of the Center for Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease at Wake Forest University, discusses the current guidelines for computed tomography (CT) calcium scoring as a screening test to assess heart attack risk.

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Hybrid multidimensional prostate MRI is 'a step in the right direction' for quantitative assessments

Using hybrid multidimensional MRI exams in lieu of multiparametric MRI for the assessment of prostate cancer could reduce interpretation times while increasing interobserver agreement. 

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Survey data reveal a potential window of opportunity for attracting student interest in nuclear medicine

Experts recently detailed their efforts to garner more student interest in the field—efforts that were successful, according to a survey responses from students who completed a short nuc med seminar.

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.