Is there an association between radiologist turnaround time of emergency department abdominal CT studies and radiologic report quality?

The aim of this study was to assess for an association between radiologists' turnaround time (TAT) and report quality for emergency department (ED) abdominopelvic CT examinations. Reports of 60 consecutive ED abdominopelvic CT studies from five abdominal radiologists (300 total reports) were included. An ED radiologist, abdominal radiologist, and ED physician independently evaluated satisfaction with report content (1-10 scale), satisfaction with report clarity (1-10 scale), and extent to which the report advanced the patient on a previously published clinical spectrum scale (1-5 scale).

Pulmonary nodules in patients with primary malignancy: comparison of hybrid PET/MR and PET/CT imaging.

Purpose: To assess diagnostic sensitivity of radial T1-weighted gradient-echo (radial volumetric interpolated breath-hold examination [VIBE]) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, positron emission tomography (PET), and combined simultaneous PET and MR imaging with an integrated PET/MR system in the detection of lung nodules, with combined PET and computed tomography (CT) as a reference.

Materials And Methods: In this institutional review board-approved HIPAA-compliant prospective study, 32 patients with tumors who underwent clinically warranted fluorine 18 ((18)F) fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET/CT followed by PET/MR imaging were included. In all patients, the thorax station was examined with free-breathing radial VIBE MR imaging and simultaneously acquired PET data.

Imaging of bronchiectasis.

Despite limitations, high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) continues to be the gold standard for establishing the anatomic extent and severity of bronchiectasis. HRCT allows insight into the physiologic consequences of bronchiectasis. Recent reports show that there is good correlation between measurements of the density of airway walls and airway obstruction in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

CT colonography in senior versus nonsenior patients: extracolonic findings, recommendations for additional imaging, and polyp prevalence.

Purpose: To retrospectively evaluate the frequency of recommendations for additional imaging (RAIs) for important extracolonic findings and polyp prevalence among a cohort of seniors (age ≥ 65 years) and nonseniors (age < 65 years) undergoing low-dose computed tomographic (CT) colonography.

Materials And Methods: Institutional review board approval was obtained for this HIPAA-compliant retrospective study. Four hundred fifty-four patients (204 nonseniors: mean age, 52 years; 250 seniors: mean age, 69 years) underwent CT colonography at an outpatient facility.

Pattern recognition of benign nodules at ultrasound of the thyroid: which nodules can be left alone?

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate morphologic features predictive of benign thyroid nodules.

Materials And Methods: From a registry of the records of 1,232 fine-needle aspiration biopsies performed jointly by the cytology and radiology departments at a single institution between 2005 and 2007, the cases of 650 patients were identified for whom both a pathology report and ultrasound images were available. From the alphabetized list generated, the first 500 nodules were reviewed.

Adenocarcinoma of the lung: current concepts in radiologic diagnosis and management.

Purpose Of Review: Since the introduction especially of multidetector computed tomography scanners, detection of peripheral pulmonary nodules as small as 2-3 mm is now a frequent event even in individuals without a significant smoking history. This preponderance of small indeterminate nodules has necessitated reconsideration of the natural history of malignant lung tumors, in particular peripheral adenocarcinomas, as well as current clinical and radiologic guidelines to aid in the management of these lesions.

Recent Findings: New information within the radiologic, pathologic and surgical literature is currently redefining nodule characterization.

Ultrasound: a powerful tool in the diagnosis of ulnar collateral ligament injuries of the thumb.

Proper treatment for injuries to the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) of the metacarpophalangeal joint of the thumb relies on an accurate diagnosis of the pathology of the ligament. The current study evaluates the accuracy of ultrasonography to diagnose the specific pathology related to UCL injuries. The charts of 16 patients who underwent 21 studies of the UCL were reviewed.