[When are contrast agents really needed? : Cross-sectional imaging with computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging].

Clinical Issue: The intravenous administration of contrast agents increases the contrast between diverse tissues and vessels against their surroundings in both computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans and has been generously used for years. There are only a few scientific publications that have systematically evaluated the impact of this contrast-enhancing technique over noncontrast enhancing techniques.

Radiological Standard: According to these publications and our clinical experiences, there are far more indications to use non-contrast-enhancing techniques as they are used in clinical practice.

[The new law on radiation protection as a consequence of the EU safety standard of 2013].

The transformation of a European guideline (2013/59/Euratom) from 2013 into national law requires adaptation of the national statutory regulations. This year, all areas of protection from ionizing radiation will be subject to the new radiation protection law (StrlSchG). Through this, the German X‑ray and Radiation Protection Acts will be combined to form a higher level of authority.

[Radiological diagnosis of hepatic tumors. Part II: Identification and differential diagnosis].

Focal hepatic lesions occur in 5% of the population. The clarification of such common occurrences is of major significance because oncological diseases play an important role with respect to morbidity and mortality of the population. The first part of this review article dealt with the most important aspects of classification, epidemiology and pathology of hepatic tumors for radiologists and the current technical situation with regards to the diagnostic procedure.

[Diagnostic radiology of liver tumors. Part 1: General disease aspects and radiological procedures].

Besides malignant disease, focal liver lesions can also represent benign changes. Among the malignant lesions, in addition to hepatocellular carcinoma, liver metastases should be mentioned. In contrast, benign lesions such as focal nodular hyperplasia and hepatocellular adenoma are rarely encountered.