Dear Digital X-Ray Insider,
Chest radiography is the most common imaging modality in the world, yet x-ray interpretation and reporting is an inherently difficult and subjective task. Moreover, timely reporting of chest x-rays is an issue in both developing and developed countries, due to a shortage of qualified readers.
Given this backdrop, a team at Harvard University in Cambridge, MA, says that a commercially available artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm can help radiologists diagnose major chest abnormalities. In their study, the researchers added a new approach to measure whether the algorithm can also save time. You can read the story in this edition's Insider Exclusive.
X-ray imaging has been the focus of a number of other AI research studies we've covered, with the following just a sample:
- A group in New York City launched an AI challenge in 2019 to spur the development of algorithms for use in rheumatoid arthritis, with entries representing promising methods for quantifying joint damage linked to the disease.
- Researchers in Thailand developed an algorithm they say may help diagnose spine injuries.
- Investigators from the U.S., Italy, and Russia teamed up to evaluate a two-stage AI process that appears useful for grading the severity of COVID on x-rays.
AI may also provide a useful aid for bone age assessment, according to a session we covered last month at the European Congress of Radiology (ECR) in Vienna. In other ECR sessions, experts debated the question, "Should patient radiation shielding stay or should it go?" and explored the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on radiographers.
In a recent study using dual-emission x-ray absorptiometry, public health investigators in Baltimore found that in utero exposure to synthetic manufacturing chemicals may weaken the bone health of adolescents later in life.
We are also keeping up with developments in dark-field chest x-ray, with pioneers in the field from Germany recently reporting that their prototype system may be able to help differentiate between emphysema and fibrosis.
Finally, as part of our coverage of the war in Ukraine, we reported that a Russian cruise missile attack killed at least 24 civilians and wounded dozens more, including staff members at an imaging facility in Vinnytsia, 200 kilometers southwest of Kyiv.
That's all for now. Be sure to check back often for more news in your Digital X-Ray Community.
