Dear MRI Insider,
Physicians often have debated the best place for injection for shoulder arthrography; however, researchers in Spain believe they have found the best solution. A study from Virgen de la Arrixaca University Hospital in Murcia recommends that physicians use the upper third of the humeral head as the optimal injection site for anterior MR arthrography of the shoulder.
In an analysis of 78 patients, the study, scheduled for publication in the November issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology, also concludes that it is "a simple, rapid procedure that is well tolerated by patients and reduces the radiation dose administered."
Read more about the findings by clicking here.
Also in this edition of the MRI Insider, staff writer Cynthia Keen reports on Finnish radiologists who are using MRI instead of CT to image pediatric patients for problematic lung infections, such as pneumonia.
Staff writer Kate Madden Yee provides details on a report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Inspector General that explores MRI services paid under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule and whether there is a link between the utilization levels of these services and how they are provided.
Be sure to read contributing writer Lin Muschlitz's piece on how breast MRI has demonstrated its value in routine preoperative evaluation of women diagnosed with breast cancer. A new study published in the American Journal of Surgery indicates that breast MRI, when properly used, can lead to a rise in breast conservation rather than mastectomy among patients scheduled for surgery -- without any delays in treatment.
In the coming weeks, stay in touch with the MRI Digital Community for more news and breakthrough research, and watch for AuntMinnie.com's Road to RSNA MRI preview coverage for this year's annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America in Chicago.
