RSNA Highlights

Medical records showed a direct correlation between high aortic calcium scores measured during the procedure and the nine patients who experienced heart attacks subsequent to the screening. By noting calcification scores during virtual colonoscopy procedures, physicians may have an additional means of identifying patients at risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

Radiologists Use MRI to Keep Basketball Players on Their Feet

Early identification of potential stress fractures with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can reduce the threat of season-ending injuries for college basketball players, MRI depicts excess fluid accumulation in the foot before a stress fracture becomes evident.

A stress fracture is a small crack in a bone brought on by overuse or repeated impact on a hard surface over a long period of time. The muscles that absorb the shock of the impact eventually become fatigued, diverting much of the stress to the underlying bone.

More than one-third of athletes studied demonstrated foot abnormalities, if undetected these can lead to season or career ending injuries.


Obesity Hinders Imaging Quality, Diagnosis

Obesity can limit the ability to obtain quality images using current imaging equipment. “Hospital radiology departments are increasingly unable to adequately image and assess obese patients because of the limitations in current radiology equipment,” said Raul Uppot, M.D., a fellow in abdominal imaging and interventional radiology at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in Boston.

Incidence of obesity has increased dramatically in the last 20 years. Today, nearly one in three Americans is obese.

The study reviewed radiology reports filed between 1989 and 2003 that were labeled as “limited by body habitus,” meaning limited in quality due to the patient’s size. The percentage of limited reports nearly doubled over the 15-year period, from 0.10 percent in 1989 to 0.19 percent in 2003, which strongly correlates with the increase in obesity in the state of Massachusetts from nine percent in 1991 to 16 percent in 2001.

CT and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are predominantly limited by the amount of weight the equipment can support and the size of the area designed to accommodate the patient. Under most circumstances, quality CT images can be obtained in patients weighing up 450 pounds, and most MRI equipment can accommodate patients up to 350 pounds.
The direct cost impact of obesity on medical imaging has more than tripled since 1995.

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