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Radiology

News, opinions and meeting coverage in radiology.

Abuse of OTC Drug Mimics Kidney Stones

SAN DIEGO -- Stone deposits caused by abuse of an over-the-counter drug used to treat excess mucus may mimic kidney disorders, a researcher said here.

Doctors Say 45 Common Tests 'Overused'

Nine specialty groups have listed tests and treatments that are frequently overused, such as antibiotics for sinus attacks and CT scans for low back pain, in the first phase of a long-term project.

Oral Shield Cuts Radiation to Normal Tissue

PHOENIX -- Patients with head and neck cancer had substantial sparing of oral mucosa when they used custom-made dental stents to shield normal tissue from radiation therapy, data from a small clinical series showed.

Jaw Necrosis Common after Radiation for Oral Cancer

PHOENIX -- Osteoradionecrosis of the jaw occurred more than twice as often in patients treated for oral cancer as reported in the literature, according to a population-based study.

Gastric Ca Survival Rates Down, Chemo Use Up

SAN FRANCISCO -- A decline in survival rates in stage IV gastric cancer coincides with the increased use of chemotherapy rather than radiation and surgery, researchers found.

New Guideline on Transverse Myelitis Released

Certain clinical, imaging, and laboratory findings can help determine the etiology and prognosis in patients presenting with transverse myelitis, according to a new guideline from the American Academy of Neurology.

RSNA: Growth Hormone May Help Heavy Women With Bone Problems

CHICAGO -- Premenopausal women who are obese may not be spared from osteopenia, as some research has suggested, but growth hormone therapy may help spur bone formation, researchers said here.

Lung Biopsy Risks Not Uncommon

Needle biopsy of suspicious lung nodules isn't as benign as often thought, according to a population-based study that quantified the risks in community practice.

Level of Diastolic Function Predicts Death

The presence of moderate or severe diastolic dysfunction in patients with preserved systolic function independently predicted mortality, a retrospective study determined.

Lab Notes: Red Wine Before Radiation and Red Clover for Hair Loss

Red is the color of the day, as components of red wine and red clover lead this week's Lab Notes, but the blues get their turn in the spotlight, too, as depressed people outshine cheerier folks in some elements of decision making.

Cardiologist Who Revealed Echo Errors Out of a Job

MILWAUKEE -- A cardiologist whose research at a national medical meeting revealed that other doctors at her hospital were misreading a substantial number of diagnostic echocardiograms has been fired by that hospital, the Journal Sentinel and 麻豆传媒 have learned.

RSNA: Radiation May Pose Less Risk in Older Patients

CHICAGO -- In an elderly population, cancer risk from CT scans may be overestimated, researchers said here.

ASCO Breast: Gamma Imaging Tops Breast Ultrasound

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. -- Breast-specific gamma imaging (BSGI) outperformed breast ultrasound for evaluating patients with indeterminate mammograms in a retrospective comparison of the two imaging techniques, researchers reported here.

ASE: Routine 3D Echo Use Debated

SAN DIEGO -- Three-dimensional echocardiography has won many supporters but not everyone is convinced that it's ready for widespread clinical use.

ER X-Rays for Hip Fracture Often Miss or Mislead

Emergency room x-rays often miss the mark in diagnosing suspected hip and pelvic fractures, according to a retrospective review of patient records.

RSNA: Kids' Lead Exposure Linked to Multiple Adult Problems

CHICAGO -- Lead exposure in childhood leads to permanent brain damage and life-long problems with attention and impulsivity control, researchers said here.

RSNA: Radiologists Disagree with USPSTF on Mammography

CHICAGO -- In this exclusive InFocus芒鈥灺� report, leaders of two radiology groups charge that implementing the new breast cancer screening guidelines from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) will lead to unnecessary deaths.

RSNA: Kids Still Swallow Soda Tabs

CHICAGO -- Pop-top tabs are supposed to stay on soda cans, but they may still end up in children's stomachs, a researcher said.

RSNA: Unneeded CT Series Add to Radiation Burden

CHICAGO -- More than half of patients who have abdominal computed tomography (CT) scans may be getting extra series of tests that aren't necessary and that lead to increased radiation exposure, researchers said here.

CT Safety Warnings Follow Radiation Overdose Accident

Reports of stroke patients who were accidentally exposed to eight times the normal radiation dose during diagnostic CT scans at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles are prompting safety warnings and soul searching in radiology.

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms Often Missed on CT Scans

LITTLE FALLS, N.J. -- Clinicians may miss a substantial number of new abdominal aortic dilations on CT scans, researchers have found.

RSNA: Portable CT Scan Saves Time to Save Brain in Stroke Patients

CHICAGO -- Bringing the CT to the stroke patient, rather than the other way round, dramatically reduced door-to-scan time in a community hospital, researchers said here.

RSNA: Dry-Needling Plus Steroid Effective for Plantar Fasciitis

CHICAGO -- For patients with plantar fasciitis, a notoriously difficult condition to treat, an Italian team has come up with a novel approach that uses dry-needling combined with a steroid injection, researchers said here.

MRI Accurate in Screening for Pressure on the Brain

CAMBRIDGE, England -- An MRI scan of the optic nerve sheath may provide an accurate, noninvasive way to screen for raised intracranial pressure, researchers found.

Radiologists Take FDA Warning on Lung Ablation in Stride

ROCKVILLE, Md. -- The FDA's recent warning about deaths caused by radiofrequency ablation of lung tumors was more a note of caution than a mortal blow to the procedure, said interventional radiologists experienced with the technique.

ASNC: Caffeine Screens Before Stress Tests Often Miss Positives

SAN DIEGO -- Routine screening by questionnaire for caffeine intake before pharmacologic cardiac stress testing fails to identify most patients who have detectable serum levels of the stimulant, investigators said here.

FDA Orders Black Box Warning for Gadolinium-Based Contrast Agents

ROCKVILLE, Md. -- The FDA today ordered black-box warnings for all gadolinium-based contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging, detailing an increased risk for nephrogenic systemic fibrosis with kidney-disease patients.

Acute Diverticulitis Growing More Common in Younger Patients

BALTIMORE -- Acute diverticulitis is not as rare an occurrence in younger adults as commonly believed, particularly for obese men.

Traveling After Nuclear Medicine Procedure May Not Fly

LONDON-The threat of terrorism has made it tougher for patients who have undergone radioisotope procedures to slip quietly past radiation detectors deployed in airports and many other public places.