Michael Longacre

Practice Management
CPT III codes for reimbursement: Surprising facts
Most radiology practices are familiar with CPT I codes, but not all understand the significant value of CPT III codes. Contributing writer Michael Longacre answers code FAQs and discusses CPT III codes' often overlooked reimbursement potential.
August 6, 2008
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Top Stories
There are several conceivable advantages of F-18 FDG PET/CT over conventional imaging. Image A and B showing an example of the distinctive capability of the F-18 FDG PET/CT. A shows a fusion image of F-18 FDG PET/CT and low-dose CT and B an high resolution chest CT of a patient with an Aspergillus infection. The suspected aspergilloma is concealed on the high resolution CT due to the lung fluids and consolidation. Image C and D (fusion image of F-18 FDG PET/CT and low-dose CT and low-dose CT only, respectively) are examples of the ability to image inflammation while no concurrent abnormalities are visualized, in this case prostatitis (red arrows). Image E, a maximized intensity projection of F-18 FDG PET, shows a patient with lung infections and multiple muscle abscesses after MRSA sepsis. This is an illustrative example of a relevant dissemination investigation. Image and caption available for republishing under Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0 DEED, Attribution 4.0 International) and courtesy of Annals of Intensive Care.
Molecular Imaging
PET/CT reveals new infections in ICU patients
F-18 FDG-PET/CT is a valuable approach for diagnosing unknown infections in intensive care unit (ICU) patients.
Ultrasound Diagnostic Control Panel 400
Ultrasound
Ultrasound falls short for detecting endometrial cancer in Black women
Fat Tissue Adipocytes
MRI
T2-weighted MRI shows promise for body composition analysis
1Each lung has been split into three parts. Each area has been given a score between 0 and 3. Score values are shown in Ultrasonograms to match 4 different patterns. During a longitudinal scan with a high-resolution linear probe, pictures of patterns were taken. The scores are as follows: 0 means A pattern, 1 means B pattern, 2 means severe B pattern, and 3 means extended consolidation. Images available for publishing under a creative commons license, CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.
Ultrasound
LUS reliable for care strategies in infants with RDS
(A) Representative maximum-intensity projection and selected PET/CT images (fused, PET and CT only) of patient with metastatic prostate cancer at 1 hour after injection. (B and C) Low uptake of Ga-68 PSMA-R2 in salivary and submandibular glands is also demonstrated. (D) Images show heterogeneous uptake of Ga-68 PSMA-R2 with varying degrees of intensity in multiple spine bone lesions (vertebral sclerotic lesion with intense PSMA-R2 expression at its periphery indicated with red arrow). HU = Houndsfield unit; SUVbw = body-weight SUV. Images and caption courtesy of the Journal of Nuclear Medicine.
Molecular Imaging
PSMA-PET tracer performs well in clinical trial
More in Home
PET/CT reveals new infections in ICU patients
By Will Morton
F-18 FDG-PET/CT is a valuable approach for diagnosing unknown infections in intensive care unit (ICU) patients.
February 21, 2025
There are several conceivable advantages of F-18 FDG PET/CT over conventional imaging. Image A and B showing an example of the distinctive capability of the F-18 FDG PET/CT. A shows a fusion image of F-18 FDG PET/CT and low-dose CT and B an high resolution chest CT of a patient with an Aspergillus infection. The suspected aspergilloma is concealed on the high resolution CT due to the lung fluids and consolidation. Image C and D (fusion image of F-18 FDG PET/CT and low-dose CT and low-dose CT only, respectively) are examples of the ability to image inflammation while no concurrent abnormalities are visualized, in this case prostatitis (red arrows). Image E, a maximized intensity projection of F-18 FDG PET, shows a patient with lung infections and multiple muscle abscesses after MRSA sepsis. This is an illustrative example of a relevant dissemination investigation. Image and caption available for republishing under Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0 DEED, Attribution 4.0 International) and courtesy of Annals of Intensive Care.
Ultrasound falls short for detecting endometrial cancer in Black women
By Amerigo Allegretto
Ultrasound-based strategies fall short of biopsy for detecting endometrial cancer in non-Hispanic Black women.
February 21, 2025
Ultrasound Diagnostic Control Panel 400
T2-weighted MRI shows promise for body composition analysis
By Kate Madden Yee
Using deep learning with T2-weighted MR imaging is a feasible way to assess patients' body composition, researchers have reported.
February 21, 2025
Fat Tissue Adipocytes
LUS reliable for care strategies in infants with RDS
By Amerigo Allegretto
Lung ultrasound (LUS) scoring is reliable for determining whether preterm newborns need surfactant for suspected respiratory distress syndrome (RDS).
February 20, 2025
1Each lung has been split into three parts. Each area has been given a score between 0 and 3. Score values are shown in Ultrasonograms to match 4 different patterns. During a longitudinal scan with a high-resolution linear probe, pictures of patterns were taken. The scores are as follows: 0 means A pattern, 1 means B pattern, 2 means severe B pattern, and 3 means extended consolidation. Images available for publishing under a creative commons license, CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.
PSMA-PET tracer performs well in clinical trial
By Will Morton
PET/CT imaging with a new gallium-68-based prostate cancer radiotracer shows promise for detecting recurrent metastatic disease.
February 20, 2025
(A) Representative maximum-intensity projection and selected PET/CT images (fused, PET and CT only) of patient with metastatic prostate cancer at 1 hour after injection. (B and C) Low uptake of Ga-68 PSMA-R2 in salivary and submandibular glands is also demonstrated. (D) Images show heterogeneous uptake of Ga-68 PSMA-R2 with varying degrees of intensity in multiple spine bone lesions (vertebral sclerotic lesion with intense PSMA-R2 expression at its periphery indicated with red arrow). HU = Houndsfield unit; SUVbw = body-weight SUV. Images and caption courtesy of the Journal of Nuclear Medicine.
CT best for diagnosing suspected wooden foreign objects in the eye
By Kate Madden Yee
CT imaging is best for diagnosing suspected intraorbital wooden foreign bodies, although MR imaging does offer valuable supplementary information.
February 20, 2025
Am 2019 07 26 16 23 3380 Eye Eyelashes 400
ACS: Fewer Black men are dying from cancer
By Liz Carey
Black men in the U.S. between the ages of 40 and 59 experienced a 65% to 67% decline in cancer mortality between 1999 and 2022, according to 2025 ACS statistics.
February 20, 2025
Cancer Cell Target2
Insurance influences which type of fibroid treatment a woman undergoes
By Kate Madden Yee
Whether a woman is covered by Medicare or by commercial insurance appears to influence the type of treatment she will likely undergo for uterine fibroids.
February 19, 2025
Fibroid
Lung biomarkers inform patient selection for EBUS-TBNA
By Amerigo Allegretto
Lung imaging biomarkers can inform patient selection for endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA).
February 19, 2025
2025 02 19 Ajr Lung Images Thumbnail
Are white-matter hyperintensities found on MRI biomarkers for TBI?
By Kate Madden Yee
White-matter hyperintensities found on high-resolution FLAIR images on 3-tesla MRI aren't necessarily biomarkers for mild traumatic brain injury (TBI).
February 19, 2025
2025 02 19 Ajr Tanwar Figure2 Thumbnail
Epicardial adipose tissue on LDCT tied to cardiovascular mortality risk
By Amerigo Allegretto
Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) on low-dose CT (LDCT) images is tied to higher cardiovascular mortality risk in lung cancer patients.
February 18, 2025
Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) segmentation (shading) at noncontrast chest CT in axial orientation. Representative examples show EAT changes (ΔEAT) between baseline and two-year follow-up CT scans in participants who survived (typical changes) and increasing and decreasing EAT in participants who died. Images and caption courtesy of the RSNA.
7-minute shoulder MRI scans are feasible
By Will Morton
A commercially available deep-learning (DL) algorithm can enable high quality seven-minute shoulder MRI exams.
February 18, 2025
Images in an 18-year-old man with recurrent dislocations of the right shoulder. (A, B) Unenhanced coronal, (C) axial, and (D, E) sagittal deep learning super-resolution threefold parallel imaging -- accelerated turbo spin-echo MRI scans were obtained at 3-tesla field strength. (A) Coronal T2-weighted fat-suppressed (FS) and (B) coronal proton density (PD)-weighted MRI scans show a nondisplaced superior labral tear (arrows). (C) Axial proton density-weighted fat-suppressed, (D) sagittal T2-weighted fat-suppressed, and (E) sagittal T1-weighted MRI scans show continuation into a nondisplaced anteroinferior labral tear (arrows). All seven readers correctly diagnosed the arthroscopy-validated findings. (F) An arthroscopic photograph shows the anteroinferior labral tear (arrow). Image and caption courtesy of the RSNA.
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