Share of Diagnostic Imaging Interpretation: Radiology and Other Specialties.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to examine radiology's and other specialties' market shares for diagnostic imaging interpretation for Medicare fee-for-service claims by modality, body region, and place of service.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study of Physician/Supplier Procedure Summary data for 2022, the authors examined the proportion of diagnostic imaging interpretation by specialty. All claims for CT, MR, nuclear medicine (NM), ultrasound, and radiography and fluoroscopy (XR) were included.

CT Volumetry of Convoluted Objects-A Simple Method Using Volume Averaging.

Accurate measurement of object volumes using computed tomography is often important but can be challenging, especially for finely convoluted objects with severe marginal blurring from volume averaging. We aimed to test the accuracy of a simple method for volumetry by constructing, scanning and analyzing a phantom object with these characteristics which consisted of a cluster of small lucite beads embedded in petroleum jelly. Our method involves drawing simple regions of interest containing the entirety of the object and a portion of the surrounding material and using its density, along with the densities of pure lucite and petroleum jelly and the slice thickness to calculate the volume of the object in each slice.

Relationship of Seminal Megavesicles, Prostate Median Cysts, and Genotype in Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease.

Background: Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) can involve prostate and seminal vesicles but the potential interrelationship of these findings and associations with PKD gene mutation locus and type is unknown.

Purpose: To determine the interrelationship of seminal megavesicles (seminal vesicles with lumen diameter > 10mm) and prostatic cysts in ADPKD and to determine whether there are associations with PKD gene mutations.

Study Type: Retrospective, case control.

The Role of Computed Tomography and Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Gynecologic Oncology.

This article discusses the role of Computed tomography (CT) and MR imaging in gynecologic malignancies by reviewing epidemiology, histologic subtypes, and staging systems. Imaging findings specific to different gynecologic malignancies on CT and MR imaging are reviewed and the advantages of each imaging modality discussed. Imaging of endometrial, cervical, and ovarian cancer is reviewed in depth, with a brief discussion of rare gynecologic cancers.

Intravenous Contrast-Induced Nephropathy-The Rise and Fall of a Threatening Idea.

Contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) has been considered to be a cause of renal failure for over 50 years, but careful review of past and recent studies reveals the risks of CIN to be overestimated. Older studies frequently cited the use of high-osmolality contrast media, which have since been replaced by low-osmolality contrast media, which have lower risks for nephropathy. In addition, literature regarding CIN typically describes the incidence following cardiac angiography, whereas the risk of CIN from intravenous injection is much lower.

Maximum Arterial Contrast Concentrations With Computed Tomography and Left Ventriculography: Implications for Contrast Nephrotoxicity Risk.

Purpose: Contrast nephropathy occurs more frequently after cardiac angiography, which usually includes left ventriculography via direct left ventricular injection, than after contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT), despite the usually higher intravenous contrast dose used for CT. To determine whether maximum renal arterial contrast concentration is higher after left ventriculography, we assessed this parameter for both procedures.

Materials And Methods: Contrast concentration in abdominal aortic blood during contrast-enhanced CT was measured by performing CT densitometry of aortic blood before contrast, and in the arterial phase, in 100 adults undergoing abdominal CT.

Split-bolus CT urogram: Is less more?

Purpose: To determine the accuracy of split-bolus CT urogram (SB-CTU) without special maneuvers for ureteral distention in diagnosing upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma (UCA).

Materials And Methods: A hospital database was searched from 1/1/10, to 9/1/15, for SB-CTU exams without special maneuvers for ureteral distention. Accuracy of SB-CTU for detecting upper and lower urinary tract UCA was computed by comparing the prospective radiology report with cystoscopy, ureteroscopy, and/or urologic clinical follow-up.

Live Donor Renal Anatomic Asymmetry and Posttransplant Renal Function.

Background: Relationship between live donor renal anatomic asymmetry and posttransplant recipient function has not been studied extensively.

Methods: We analyzed 96 live kidney donors, who had anatomical asymmetry (>10% renal length and/or volume difference calculated from computerized tomography angiograms) and their matching recipients. Split function differences (SFD) were quantified with technetium-dimercaptosuccinic acid renography.

Comparison of Renal Parenchymal Volume Preservation Between Partial Nephrectomy, Cryoablation, and Radiofrequency Ablation Using 3D Volume Measurements.

Purpose: Small renal masses (SRM) can be managed via a variety of nephron-sparing procedures (NSPs), but the association between choice of NSP and renal parenchymal volume (RPV) preservation is not well understood. We sought to examine RPV preservation after partial nephrectomy (PN) performed via open, robotic, or laparoscopic approaches and thermal ablation (TA) performed via cryoablation (CA) or radiofrequency ablation (RFA).

Patients And Methods: The study was a retrospective review of three institutional databases of patients with a SRM <4 cm treated via one of the five NSPs (open PN, laparoscopic PN, robotic PN, percutaneous CA, or percutaneous RFA).

Multimodality imaging of the postpartum or posttermination uterus: evaluation using ultrasound, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging.

Postpartum and posttermination complications are common causes of morbidity and mortality in women of reproductive age. These complications can be broadly categorized into vascular, infectious, surgical, and neoplastic etiologies, or are due to ectopic implantation of placental or endometrial tissue. Causes of postpartum vascular complications include retained products of conception, arteriovenous malformation, and pseudoaneurysm.

Routine intraoperative hepatic sonography does not affect staging or postsurgical hepatic recurrence in pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the utility of intraoperative sonography of the liver in the staging of pancreatic adenocarcinoma and its impact on the rate of postoperative tumor recurrence in the liver.

Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of the rate in which intraoperative sonography of the liver changed surgical management in 470 surgical candidates with pancreatic adenocarcinoma. In postsurgical patients, we performed a χ(2) analysis to examine whether the patients who underwent hepatic intraoperative sonography had a lower rate of recurrent disease in the liver within the first 6 months of surgery compared to patients who did not undergo the procedure.

Science to practice: a new insight into nephrotoxicity after contrast medium administration.

Liu et al (1) have shown that iodinated contrast medium preferentially vasoconstricts the glomerular afferent arterioles by depleting endothelial nitric oxide bioavailability. This potentiates an exaggerated afferent arteriolar vasoconstricting response to angiotensin II and opens possibilities for new methods to prevent or treat nephrotoxicity after contrast medium administration.

Frequency of serum creatinine changes in the absence of iodinated contrast material: implications for studies of contrast nephrotoxicity.

Objective: Most studies of contrast-induced nephropathy lack controls to distinguish it from nephropathy from other causes. We assessed the frequency and magnitude of serum creatinine changes in patients not receiving iodinated contrast material to compare with creatinine changes in publications regarding contrast nephropathy.

Materials And Methods: From the electronic medical records of an academic medical center, adults with creatinine determinations on five consecutive days who had not received contrast material during the previous 10 days were identified.

Risk of nephropathy after intravenous administration of contrast material: a critical literature analysis.

Purpose: To assess the risk of nephropathy after administration of contrast material by reviewing the published literature on intravenous contrast material administration and by separating reports with appropriate control measures from those without such measures.

Materials And Methods: The MEDLINE database was searched for articles published from October 1966 to September 2004 that contained the phrases "contrast," "contrast medium," "contrast media," or "radiocontrast" and any of the words or phrases "nephrotoxicity," "nephropathy," kidney failure," or "renal failure." The identified publications were reviewed and limited to original clinical series.

Localization of neurovascular bundles on pelvic CT and evaluation of radiation dose to structures putatively involved in erectile dysfunction after prostate brachytherapy.

Purpose: To (a) locate neurovascular bundles (NVB) on pelvic CT and (b) retrospectively evaluate relationships between radiation dose to structures putatively involved in prostate brachytherapy-induced erectile dysfunction (ED) and incidence of postbrachytherapy ED.

Methods And Materials: (a) Right/left NVB were identified on nine prostate MRIs. Structures visible on MRI and CT were cross-referenced.