Dear AuntMinnieEurope Member,
In medical imaging circles, gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs) have been an incredibly hot topic over recent months. A fresh controversy surfaced this week in the unlikely form of an article in a specialist dermatology journal.
New European guidelines on the diagnosis and management of nephrogenic systemic fibrosis have sent shockwaves through the radiology community over the past few days. Calm, balanced, and mild-mannered senior doctors like Drs. Henrik Thomsen and Georg Bongartz have spoken out against the document. Thankfully, the lead author has listened to the criticism and promised to consider revising the text. Go to our MRI Community, or click here.
Meanwhile, the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM) has sought to bring clarity to the use of GBCAs by publishing its own guidelines for both researchers and clinical staff. The ISMRM has tackled the complex issue of gadolinium retention, in which patients who have received GBCAs retain trace levels of gadolinium in their brain tissue years after the studies were performed. Get the details here.
In theory at least, screening mammography reduces social inequalities because all women have access to screening. But does it? Swiss researchers have found that introducing screening in Geneva increased adherence to mammography guidelines, but it did nothing to curtail social disparities, particularly when it comes to education. Visit the Women's Imaging Community, or click here.
Performing a mammogram can be hard physical work and involves plenty of stretching and lifting. To assist radiographers, Portuguese authors have produced a timely and practical guide on how to minimize aches and pains. To learn more, click here.
Finally, a total-body PET scanner being developed in Belgium has a 2-m field-of-view, affording a 20-fold increase in sensitivity when compared with current PET scanners. The advantage of total-body scanning is the combination of very high sensitivity due to the large axial acceptance angle and the very good and uniform spatial resolution, according to the lead researcher. Go to the Molecular Imaging Community, or click here.
