Focused ultrasound under MR guidance may offer a safe and effective noninvasive treatment for breast cancer, according to research presented at RSNA 2013. MR-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) ablation requires no incision or puncture to perform. Instead, it uses the acoustic energy from high-intensity focused ultrasound to heat and ablate diseased tissue. Continuous MRI is used
Using a special type of MRI, researchers have found that soldiers who suffered mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) induced by blast exposure exhibit long-term brain differences, according to a study presented at RSNA 2013. Recent wars have resulted in veterans with an exposure rate of approximately 20% to blast-induced MTBI, or trauma resulting from mortar
Almost 1 in every 7 cardiologists is seeking to sell his or her practice, according to a report from staffing firm Jackson Healthcare, who surveyed physicians across all areas of medicine. Physicians in private practice still outnumber those employed, but this could change as less than half the survey respondents with an ownership stake say
Healthy adults who consumed energy drinks high in caffeine and taurine had significantly increased heart contraction rates one hour later, according to a study presented at RSNA 2013. “Until now, we haven’t known exactly what effect these energy drinks have on the function of the heart,” said radiology resident Jonas Dörner, MD, of the cardiovascular
People with diabetes are 38% more likely to die early and have a 73% higher chance of being admitted to hospital for heart failure than others, according to a U.K. report. The review of more than two million people found just over a quarter of admissions to hospital for heart failure were among people with
An analysis of data from an international multicenter study of coronary CT angiography (CCTA) reveals that men and women with mild coronary artery disease (CAD) and similar cardiovascular risk profiles share similar prognoses. Results of the study were presented at the annual RSNA meeting. “We conducted this study because we wanted to understand whether men
Nearly 78 million American adults are obese. Obesity is a major public health problem, ranking fifth on the World Health Organization’s list of leading risk factors for mortality. Not too surprisingly, this worldwide epidemic is also closely linked to the rise in the incidence of cardiovascular disorders, particularly heart failure. A 2010 review in the
Here is what Radiology Today thinks we should keep an eye on in the new year: Picking our annual five-things-to-watch list helps Radiology Today focus on some key items we and you should be paying attention to in the coming year. Accurately predicting the answers to the questions the list raises would be genius, which
WHY THE RISK OF HEART DISEASE IS HIGHEST IN WINTER Winter can be a killer. Literally. Compared to the summer months, people are 26 to 36 percent more likely to die in winter from a heart attack, stroke, heart failure, or some other circulatory disease, say Drs. Bryan Schwartz and Robert Kloner of the Heart Institute
Experts from both the Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering IBMT in St Ingbert, Germany, and the Fraunhofer Institute for Medical Image Computing MEVIS in Bremen, Germany, are working together on the MARIUS (magnetic resonance imaging using ultrasound) project, developing a quicker, gentler, more cost-effective biopsy method that is easier on breast cancer patients. The new