Ultrasound

Ultrasound, also referred to as sonography or diagnostic ultrasound, uses high-frequency sound waves to visualize soft tissue. Ultrasounds are frequently ordered to measure fetal anatomy during pregnancy, check for blood clots and to guide needle biopsy procedures of the breast, abdomen and pelvis. The imaging modality does not use any radiation to create images. Find news specific to cardiac ultrasound (echocardiography).

How beneficial is MR-directed breast ultrasound in reducing biopsies?
A team of experts determined that correlating masses initially detected on MRI are significantly more likely to result in a cancer diagnosis than other common findings.
A significant amount of imaging orders in emergency settings are inappropriate
A general lack of awareness pertaining to ACR appropriateness criteria could be a driving factor behind the misguided requisitions, authors of a new analysis suggest.
USPSTF stops short of recommending supplemental imaging for women with dense breast tissue
Experts, medical organizations and advocates alike are coming forward saying that the new guidelines “do not go far enough,” particularly when it comes to addressing the screening needs of certain patients.
Ultrasound-damaged organoids show how brain injury may progress into ALS
Seeking ways to protect the brain, the researchers found a gene called KNNJ2 that aids in muscle contraction and relaxation.
Ultrasound specialists update recommendations for endometriosis screening
The authors recommend tweaking pelvic ultrasound with new maneuvers that produce clearer images.

Group publishes new stress echo guidelines for ischemic heart disease

The American Society of Echocardiography released the new recommendations to replace its 2007 edition.

January 9, 2020

Medical societies release AUC ratings for imaging congenital heart disease patients

The 47-page document, published Jan. 6 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, touches on multiple cardiac imaging modalities, rating them based on their appropriateness for examining adults and children with previously diagnosed heart defects.

January 7, 2020

What’s to Gain from Strain? Experts Say Strain Echocardiography Is on the Path to Acceptance

Despite its diagnostic and prognostic value, speckle-tracking strain echocardiography is underused, some cardiac imagers say. What will it take for adoption to pick up?

January 7, 2020

Philips updates, expands cardiac ultrasound platform

Royal Philips has rolled out the latest update for its EPIQ CVx and EPIQ CVxi cardiac ultrasound systems, expanding to include automated applications for 2D assessment of the heart and robust 3D measurements of right ventricular volume and ejection fraction.

June 21, 2019

CV programs struggling to keep up with growing demand for cardio-oncologists

Cardio-oncology has emerged as an area of rapid growth in the medical community in recent years, owing in large part to an increasing population of cancer survivors.

April 30, 2019

A new gene-editing therapy has been tested on humans for the first time, resulting in a significant reduction in their low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol that could potentially last for decades. The study’s authors presented these early results at the AHA 2023 meeting.

Genetic variant linked to chemotherapy-induced cardiomyopathy

The same genetic variants that have been uncovered in patients with two other types of cardiomyopathy are also present in an uncommonly high proportion of people with cancer therapy-induced cardiomyopathy (CCM), researchers reported in Circulation.

April 17, 2019

Ultrasound societies want the FDA to remove contrast label warning

The International Contrast Ultrasound Society (ICUS) is again urging the FDA to remove the “black box” warning from ultrasound contrast agent (UCA) labels, following its filing of a September 2018 citizen petition with the federal agency.

March 6, 2019

American Society of Echocardiography unveils new guidelines for comprehensive TTE

The American Society of Echocardiography has released new guidelines for performing a comprehensive transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) examination. The recommendations, which were endorsed by 22 other cardiology/echocardiography societies from around the world, were published in the January edition of the Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography.

January 22, 2019

Around the web

Cardiovascular Business

AI improves CT assessments, boosts care for real-world heart patients

Automated AI-generated measurements combined with annotated CT images can improve treatment planning and help referring physicians and patients better understand their disease, explained Sarah Jane Rinehart, MD, director of cardiac imaging with Charleston Area Medical Center.

Cardiovascular Business

AI predicts cardiovascular risk during CT scans—no invasive tests or contrast required

Two advanced algorithms—one for CAC scores and another for segmenting cardiac chamber volumes—outperformed radiologists when assessing low-dose chest CT scans.

Radiology Business

Google teams with Bayer to address radiologist burnout via AI

"Gen AI can help tackle repetitive tasks and provide insights into massive datasets, saving valuable time," Thomas Kurian, CEO of Google Cloud, said Tuesday.

Ultrasound

How beneficial is MR-directed breast ultrasound in reducing biopsies?

A significant amount of imaging orders in emergency settings are inappropriate

USPSTF stops short of recommending supplemental imaging for women with dense breast tissue

Ultrasound-damaged organoids show how brain injury may progress into ALS

Ultrasound specialists update recommendations for endometriosis screening

Around the web