Dear Ultrasound Insider,
Contrast-enhanced ultrasound's most important clinical indication in radiology may be for characterizing liver masses, but the modality can also be a valuable problem-solver in the kidney.
A recent study has added further heft to the case for using ultrasound contrast to characterize renal lesions that are indeterminate on CT, MRI, or conventional unenhanced ultrasound. The Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine paper is the subject of our Insider Exclusive, which you can access before our regular members.
In other news in this issue, the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care has decided to recommend ultrasound screening for abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA). In guidelines released earlier this month, the task force is now advising a one-time exam for men ages 65 to 80. Click here for our report.
The news came on the heels of the decision by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force to take another look at the benefits and harms of ultrasound screening for AAA. Click here to find out what's in the group's draft research plan.
What's the best way to determine the aggressiveness of small papillary thyroid cancers? It may be 3D volume measurements, according to research from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. In a study involving 300 patients, 3D measurements of tumor volume identified growth a median of more than eight months before growth was evident on 2D measurements of tumor diameter. Click here to get all of the details.
Speaking of thyroid cancer, researchers from the University of Calgary blamed diagnostic imaging for the thyroid cancer "overdiagnosis epidemic" in Canada. You can access our coverage by clicking here.
The off-label use of ultrasound-guided injection of recombinant thrombin for treating extremity pseudoaneurysms is safe and effective, according to a recent 10-year retrospective analysis in the Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine. Click here to learn more.
How do women fare when breast cancer is detected on ultrasound? Generally pretty well, but some do experience cancer recurrence, according to a South Korean study. What factors predicted recurrence? Click here to find out.
If you're interested in boning up on the methods for quantifying the right heart, you'll want to check out two new articles contributed by consulting firm CardioServ. In part 3 of our right heart quantification series, CardioServ Clinical Cardiac Director Andrea Fields describes the preferred volumetric measurement methods and linear measurements for calculating the size of the right atrium. Part 4 shares eight tips for correctly measuring tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) and the S' wave (tissue Doppler imaging-derived tricuspid lateral annular systolic velocity).
Is there a topic you'd like to see covered your Ultrasound Digital Community? As always, please feel free to drop me a line.
