Dear AuntMinnie Member,
Ultrasound scans performed on a pregnant woman infected with the Zika virus missed early signs of microcephaly in the fetus. In a case report, researchers from Johns Hopkins University and other institutions explain why the modality missed the infection, and what can be done about it.
The Zika virus has terrified the world since cases began appearing in Brazil in 2015. The disease has a particularly devastating impact on pregnant women, causing microcephaly and other fetal defects.
In the case report published this week in the New England Journal of Medicine, the group described how they used ultrasound early in the pregnancy of a woman who had returned from a trip to Central America. The scans initially missed signs of microcephaly in the woman's fetus, signs that became apparent later as the infection progressed.
Learn more about the case, and how medical imaging can be used to detect and monitor this devastating disease, by clicking here for an article in our Ultrasound Community.
DTI-MRI and concussion
MRI with a diffusion-tensor imaging (DTI) protocol detected signs of myelin damage in the brains of hockey players with sports-related mild traumatic brain injury.
Myelin is the insulating sheath that protects nerves in the brain, and it's critical to brain function. Canadian researchers used a DTI-MRI technique to show a decrease in myelin between baseline scans and those obtained after the players sustained concussions.
Learn more by clicking here, and visit our MRI Community for more at mri.auntminnie.com.
5 ways to reduce overdiagnosis
Overdiagnosis has emerged as a major point of controversy in the battle over breast screening. Critics believe it's leading to a cascade of follow-up imaging tests and biopsies that are costing the healthcare system millions and leading to anxiety and morbidity in patients.
But when used effectively, medical imaging can help reduce overdiagnosis, according to an article in our Women's Imaging Community. Read about five steps your facility can take for smarter breast screening by clicking here.
