Dear AuntMinnie Member,
Examining patients with dense breast tissue is one of the most vexing issues any breast center faces. But at this week's American Association of Physicists in Medicine meeting, California researchers presented what could someday become a better tool for screening these patients.
Called spectral mammography, the technique differs from standard digital mammography in that it uses different energy levels to image breast tissue. This helps quantify the density of a woman's breasts, which in turn can help calculate her relative risk of breast cancer.
The best thing about spectral mammography is that it can be performed at the same time as a screening mammogram (although it requires a specially upgraded digital mammography system). Learn more by clicking here, or visit our Women's Imaging Digital Community at women.auntminnie.com.
Gadolinium reactions
Although reactions to gadolinium-based MRI contrast agents are rare, they do occasionally occur. In our MRI Digital Community this week, we're reporting on a new study from South Korean researchers, who examined the reaction rates among a range of commercially available MRI contrast products.
The researchers found that immediate adverse reactions occurred in less than one-tenth of 1% of patients, with most of these being relatively mild reactions such as hives and swelling. There were only 10 patients who suffered severe adverse reactions in a study population of more than 84,000 patients.
Learn more about the study by clicking here, or visit our MRI Digital Community at mri.auntminnie.com.
Radiology and modern art
Finally, click over to our sister site, AuntMinnieEurope.com, to read a fascinating new article on radiology and modern art.
Ever eager for inspiration, modern artists have been turning to medical images as a source material, according to Serbian researchers who performed an exhaustive review to identify radiology-based works in the literature.
The works range from colorized images of snake skeletons to Gothic stained-glass windows featuring x-ray images of different body parts. See them for yourself by clicking here, or visit AuntMinnieEurope.com at www.auntminnieeurope.com.
