Lisa Fratt, Editor

Whether it’s “Extreme Radiology in Afghanistan” or “Year Two of Health System Reform: Where Are We Now,” the 97th Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting of the RSNA in Chicago Nov. 27 to Dec. 2 is host to more than its fair share of compelling sessions. Presented below are Health Imaging’s top picks for hot topics, as well as a quick refresher on a few of these topics.

Patient-centered radiology is the new radiology business mantra, a point evidenced in October when Health Imaging’s annual top trends survey confirmed the central role of patients in the imaging business. RSNA also tackles the issue and introduces the American College of Radiology’s Face of Radiology campaign. Read "Patient Communication: Pandora's Box or Panacea?" for a primer on one of the many issues related to the topic.

At 20 years old, cardiac CT angiography remains as compelling as it did when first introduced. Geoffrey D. Rubin, MD, chair of the department of radiology at Duke Health, Durham, N.C., is certain to engage, enliven and enlighten the audience during Sunday’s opening lecture, “CT Angiography: 20 Years Old and All Grown-Up.” It’s an issue we at Health Imaging have tracked closely and will continue to do so as research accrues.

While CT angiography has reached relative maturity, 7.0T MRI and PET/MR are just beginning to make the transition from the research realm into clinical practice. As always, the Eugene P. Pendergrass Lecture promises to open new doors. Health Imaging explored 7.0T MRI earlier this year, visiting with researchers who have leveraged the modality to improve surgical planning for epilepsy treatment. And our editorial team examined the array of potential clinical applications of PET/MR in the November issue.

Ever-improving image resolution has upped the number of incidental findings, and protocols for communicating and managing incidentalomas remain a work-in-progress. Review "Incidentalomas: Managing Ancillary Findings" for a better handle on the challenge and consider attending “Incidental Small Renal Mass: Image It, Treat It or Ignore It?” for a discussion of current management strategies.

Imaging and image management extend far beyond radiology. Most enterprises are considering and developing enterprise strategies that include images across the ’ologies. Read more about digital pathology, including how it differs from digital radiology, in Health Imaging’s Q&A with informatics expert Paul J. Chang, MD, and learn more about the enterprise image management strategies of a few pioneers in "No Image Left Behind."

Health Imaging will be tracking and analyzing these and the full array of other hot topics that impact the imaging business. Be sure to read our live RSNA show coverage from Nov. 27 to Dec. 1 to stay on top of the economics, informatics and practice issues central to the business of radiology.

Finally, let us know how these and other hot topics are impacting your practice. We’d love to hear from you.

Lisa Fratt, Editor

lfratt@trimedmedia.com