Dear AuntMinnie Member,
A new international group is forming to tackle the issue of patient retention of gadolinium from MRI contrast agents.
Research over the past several years has discovered residual gadolinium in the brains of patients who received contrast agents for MRI exams. While the phenomenon has been demonstrated with multiple studies, many questions remain, such as whether the residual gadolinium can have a clinical effect or whether different types of agents are more prone to deposition.
To answer these questions, two European researchers have formed the Gadolinium Retention Evaluation Consortium (GREC), an initiative designed to collect and share information about gadolinium contrast. They've signed on a number of experts in Europe and are now bringing the project to the U.S. Learn more about the project by clicking here.
In other important MRI news, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration yesterday issued a safety alert on the use of implantable infusion pumps in the MRI environment. The agency said it has received reports of serious adverse events -- including patient injury and death -- associated with the use of the pumps in MRI environments. Learn more by clicking here, or visit our MRI Community at mri.auntminnie.com.
CT screening of nonsmokers
When you think of the target population for CT lung cancer screening, what type of individual typically comes to mind? A smoker, right? Well, researchers from Taiwan believe that CT screening might even be suited for nonsmokers who have certain risk factors.
They studied the effectiveness of CT screening in a group of nonsmoking individuals, and compared the malignancy rate in their population with results from the landmark National Lung Screening Trial. You might be surprised by the findings: Get the details by clicking here, or visit our CT Community at ct.auntminnie.com.
It's cold inside
Is your reading room the scene of battles over the thermostat? Then this week's installment of #MyRadGirlfriend might particularly resonate with you. Check it out by clicking here.
