Rebecca Smith-Bindman, MD

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How to comply with CMS's CT radiation dose measure
Inconsistency in CT radiation doses represents a modifiable health risk, and doses can be standardized through auditing and feedback to hospitals and physicians.
June 27, 2024
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Representative longitudinal chest CT images and five-year parametric response mapping (PRM), pulmonary vascular CT reconstructions, and hyperpolarized xenon-129 (Xe-129) ventilation MRI scans from survivors of nonsevere and severe COVID-19 pneumonia. (A–F) Images in a 68-year-old male survivor of nonsevere COVID-19 pneumonia, (G–L) 62-year-old male survivor of severe COVID-19 pneumonia, and (M–R) 55-year-old male survivor of severe COVID-19 pneumonia. For each participant, the first three columns show coronal chest CT images from the acute phase (A, G, M), two-year follow-up (B, H, N), and five-year follow-up (C, I, O) (left to right). The fourth column (D, J, P) shows a coronal PRM image for each participant at five-year follow-up derived from paired inspiratory and expiratory CT scans, showing the spatial distribution of lung functional categories. Green indicates normal lung tissue, yellow indicates functional small airway disease, and red indicates emphysema. The second-to-last column shows volume-rendered small pulmonary vessel visualization (red) at five-year follow-up per participant (E, K, Q). The column on the far right (F, L, R) shows a hyperpolarized Xe-129 MRI ventilation defect percentage (VDP) map at five-year follow-up per participant. Dark blue represents high Xe-129 signal intensity, corresponding to well-ventilated lung regions, whereas red represents no Xe-129 signal intensity, corresponding to ventilation defects. At five-year follow-up, the 68-year-old survivor of nonsevere COVID-19 pneumonia (top row) showed near-complete radiologic resolution, no respiratory symptoms, and preserved pulmonary function. In contrast, the 62-year-old survivor of severe COVID-19 pneumonia (middle row) showed persistent fibrotic linear opacities without respiratory symptoms and mildly reduced pulmonary function. The 55-year-old survivor of severe COVID-19 pneumonia (bottom row) showed persistent scattered fibrotic linear opacities and focal emphysematous changes in both lungs, with dyspnea and impaired gas exchange function. The VDP values obtained from F, L, and R were 7.7%, 7.1%, and 6.3%, respectively.
CT
What are the effects of COVID-19 pneumonia after 5 years?
After five years, residual lesions persisted in 35.6% of survivors (37 of 104).
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Molecular Imaging
USC researchers develop “plug-and-play" platform for PET tracers
Representative MRI scans for which the independently assigned imaging-derived extranodal extension (iENE) grades differed among the readers. (A) Axial and sagittal images in a 56-year-old male patient with nasopharyngeal carcinoma and cervical nodal metastases. Readers 1 and 3 interpreted the finding as a metastatic lymph node invading the left sternocleidomastoid muscle (arrow) and assessed an iENE grade of 3, whereas reader 2 assigned a grade of 2. After joint review, the radiologists reached a consensus on the absence of definite sternocleidomastoid muscle invasion, and the final iENE grade was 2. (B) Axial and sagittal images in a 52-year-old male patient with nasopharyngeal carcinoma and cervical nodal metastases. Reader 1 interpreted the findings as a single enlarged metastatic lymph node and assessed an iENE grade of 1, whereas readers 2 and 3 interpreted them as two coalescent metastatic lymph nodes (arrows) and assessed a grade of 2. After joint review, the radiologists reached a consensus on the coalescence of the two metastatic lymph nodes, and the final iENE grade was 2.
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Image-based grading system estimates nasopharyngeal carcinoma severity
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What are the effects of COVID-19 pneumonia after 5 years?
By Will Morton
After five years, residual lesions persisted in 35.6% of survivors (37 of 104).
September 24, 2026
Representative longitudinal chest CT images and five-year parametric response mapping (PRM), pulmonary vascular CT reconstructions, and hyperpolarized xenon-129 (Xe-129) ventilation MRI scans from survivors of nonsevere and severe COVID-19 pneumonia. (A–F) Images in a 68-year-old male survivor of nonsevere COVID-19 pneumonia, (G–L) 62-year-old male survivor of severe COVID-19 pneumonia, and (M–R) 55-year-old male survivor of severe COVID-19 pneumonia. For each participant, the first three columns show coronal chest CT images from the acute phase (A, G, M), two-year follow-up (B, H, N), and five-year follow-up (C, I, O) (left to right). The fourth column (D, J, P) shows a coronal PRM image for each participant at five-year follow-up derived from paired inspiratory and expiratory CT scans, showing the spatial distribution of lung functional categories. Green indicates normal lung tissue, yellow indicates functional small airway disease, and red indicates emphysema. The second-to-last column shows volume-rendered small pulmonary vessel visualization (red) at five-year follow-up per participant (E, K, Q). The column on the far right (F, L, R) shows a hyperpolarized Xe-129 MRI ventilation defect percentage (VDP) map at five-year follow-up per participant. Dark blue represents high Xe-129 signal intensity, corresponding to well-ventilated lung regions, whereas red represents no Xe-129 signal intensity, corresponding to ventilation defects. At five-year follow-up, the 68-year-old survivor of nonsevere COVID-19 pneumonia (top row) showed near-complete radiologic resolution, no respiratory symptoms, and preserved pulmonary function. In contrast, the 62-year-old survivor of severe COVID-19 pneumonia (middle row) showed persistent fibrotic linear opacities without respiratory symptoms and mildly reduced pulmonary function. The 55-year-old survivor of severe COVID-19 pneumonia (bottom row) showed persistent scattered fibrotic linear opacities and focal emphysematous changes in both lungs, with dyspnea and impaired gas exchange function. The VDP values obtained from F, L, and R were 7.7%, 7.1%, and 6.3%, respectively.
Image-based grading system estimates nasopharyngeal carcinoma severity
By Amerigo Allegretto
The four-tier grading system showed excellent reliability and good prognostic value for patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
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Representative MRI scans for which the independently assigned imaging-derived extranodal extension (iENE) grades differed among the readers. (A) Axial and sagittal images in a 56-year-old male patient with nasopharyngeal carcinoma and cervical nodal metastases. Readers 1 and 3 interpreted the finding as a metastatic lymph node invading the left sternocleidomastoid muscle (arrow) and assessed an iENE grade of 3, whereas reader 2 assigned a grade of 2. After joint review, the radiologists reached a consensus on the absence of definite sternocleidomastoid muscle invasion, and the final iENE grade was 2. (B) Axial and sagittal images in a 52-year-old male patient with nasopharyngeal carcinoma and cervical nodal metastases. Reader 1 interpreted the findings as a single enlarged metastatic lymph node and assessed an iENE grade of 1, whereas readers 2 and 3 interpreted them as two coalescent metastatic lymph nodes (arrows) and assessed a grade of 2. After joint review, the radiologists reached a consensus on the coalescence of the two metastatic lymph nodes, and the final iENE grade was 2.
Altis Labs raises $25M for CT AI tool
By AuntMinnie.com staff writers
IPRO is designed to generate survival predictions from routinely acquired CT scans.
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The software analyzes abdominopelvic CT images acquired with or without intravenous contrast in adults 22 and older.
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Koning Breast CT System receives Australian TGA approval
By AuntMinnie.com staff writers
The system can now be sold in Australia, with Brisbane Radiology being the first Australian provider to purchase the system.
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AI boosts brain aneurysm detection on CT angiography
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AI preferentially detected smaller aneurysms (< 3 mm), while radiologists more often identified larger aneurysms (3 to 5 mm and > 5 mm).
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CCTA links neighborhood income to atherosclerosis
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The relationship between socioeconomic disparities and imaging-defined coronary atherosclerosis on CCTA has not been fully understood.
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Chest CT muscle attenuation predicts future bone density loss
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Muscle and bone loss commonly coexist with aging, but potential links between paraspinal muscle and thoracic vertebral bone mineral density loss remain poorly understood
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Study overview. (A) Volumetric segmentation of the paraspinal musculature was performed for 1,316 participants. (B) Manual segmentation was performed, the results were compared with the volumetric segmentation results, and the Dice score and the intersection over union were calculated. (C) The three-dimensional segmentations from T1 through T10 were individually extracted and combined into a single volume for analyses. (D) Muscle volume and median muscle attenuation were derived from the segmentation volumes. (E) Analyses were performed to assess the correlation of the paraspinal muscle attenuation and volume with the bone mineral density and the ability to predict vertebral fractures. NIFTI = Neuroimaging Informatics Technology Initiative, 3D = three-dimensional.
CT visualizes leadless pacemaker encapsulation
By Amerigo Allegretto
CT findings could guide risk stratification and treatment strategies for pacemakers.
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Elucid nets $55M in funding round
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The financing brings Elucid's total funding to approximately $185 million.
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AI cuts chest CT reporting time
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Exploratory modeling suggested an approximate reduction of 0.5 full-time equivalent radiologist workload.
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Example of AI-assisted pulmonary nodule detection and longitudinal volumetric assessment in a 65-year-old woman with peripheral arterial disease, a 24-pack-year smoking history, emphysema, and a family history of lung cancer. An incidental 8.5-mm right lower lobe pulmonary nodule is identified at CT angiography of the abdomen in July 2022 but does not receive follow-up. Subsequent imaging demonstrates interval growth, and CT-guided biopsy confirms stage IA lung adenocarcinoma. Contrast-enhanced axial chest CT images obtained on February 2, 2024, before robotic-assisted thoracoscopic segmentectomy, show a 12.1-mm spiculated right lower lobe pulmonary nodule. (A) Conventional contrast-enhanced axial chest CT image without AI assistance shows a 12.1-mm spiculated right lower lobe pulmonary nodule. (B) Corresponding CT image with AI-assisted pulmonary nodule detection, automated segmentation, and quantitative nodule assessment identifies a solid pulmonary nodule (nodule #1) measuring 13 × 8 (11) mm, with a volume of 739 mm3, a 45% volumetric increase compared with the previous contrast-enhanced chest CT performed on October 9, 2023 (510 mm3), and an estimated volume doubling time (VDT) of 216 days. (C) AI-generated longitudinal nodule analysis displays automated segmentation of the current (February 2, 2024) and previous (October 9, 2023) CT examinations, 3D nodule reconstruction, and quantitative volumetric assessment for longitudinal follow-up. The AI interface is displayed in the original software language (Dutch).
PCCT on par with MRI for diagnostic breast imaging
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PCCT performed similarly to MRI for characterizing breast lesions and finding additional lesions.
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Detection and extent of BI-RADS suspicious calcifications (amorphous, coarse heterogeneous, fine pleomorphic, and fine linear or fine linear branching) at axial photon-counting CT (PCCT) versus full-field digital mammography (first three images, craniocaudal view; last image, mediolateral oblique view). Calcifications found on mammography showed only partial visualization at ultrahigh-resolution PCCT (0.2 mm), while amorphous calcifications could not be distinguished from image noise. Corresponding abnormal enhancement was clearly depicted on contrast-enhanced PCCT images.
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