Dear AuntMinnieEurope Member,
Inappropriate imaging is a growing problem in Europe, where up to 40% of radiology exams are unnecessary. Despite rising imaging volumes, many countries lack up-to-date referral guidelines, says our longstanding editorial advisor Prof. Erik Ranschaert, PhD.
Given its heavy reliance on CT, Belgium is facing strong pressure to reduce healthcare costs and radiation exposure, and this lies behind the nation’s novel approach to radiology referrals. Ranschaert thinks the goals of the scheme are worthy, but he has serious doubts about its chances of success.
In other news, a team led by the highly respected Prof. Stephen Eustance from the National Orthopaedic Hospital Cappagh in Dublin has shared its experiences with developing local diagnostic reference levels and training radiographers over the past four years.
Which method is best for assessing CT image quality? Dutch researchers have evaluated a range of techniques used to determine image quality, and they’ve created a decision tree as a guide for method selection.
Digital variance angiography is an emerging motion-based x-ray imaging technique that uses software to visualize the distribution of iodinated contrast medium (ICM) in the vascular system. German researchers have found that the technique allows for lower doses of ICM and can be used during standard-of-care angiography examinations.
Post-therapy SPECT/CT adds value in managing prostate cancer patients with poor prognoses beyond prostate-specific antigen (PSA) or quantitative measures, as some patients develop new metastases despite decreasing PSA values, Australian authors have reported. Moreover, visual analysis is rapid and does not require specialized software for image processing, they added.
Philip Ward
Editor in Chief
AuntMinnieEurope.com