Womens Imaging

Women’s imaging encompasses many radiology procedures related to women and the diseases that are most prevalent to women such as breast cancer or gynecological issues. Mammogram, breast ultrasound, breast MRI and breast biopsy are the most commonly used procedures.

A mammography exam in progress with the patient on the breast imaging system and the technologist acquiring images. The image on the screen shows a suspect lesion.

4 key trends in breast imaging

These trends include growth in 3D mammography, supplemental imaging for women with dense breasts and in the role of artificial intelligence.

January 31, 2023
Example of various breast MRI protocol sequences that offer different types of soft tissue enhancement. Imaging performed on a Siemens Magnetom system. Breast MRI can help see through dense breast tissue to better detect cancers. #densebreasts #Breastdensity #BreastMRI

MRI a 'far superior' modality for dense breast imaging

The modality outperformed digital breast tomosynthesis, handheld ultrasound and automated breast ultrasound for cancer detection in a large cohort of women with dense breast tissue.

January 31, 2023
Danish researchers reported in Radiology that an artificial intelligence system was able to interpret more than 114,000 screening mammograms using a reading protocol with high sensitivity and specificity.

Age and workload affect reader performance for screening mammograms

Age, specialty training and reading volume give readers an edge over their peers when it comes to screening mammogram interpretations.

January 30, 2023
Contrast-enhanced mammography uses iodine contrast injected into a patient and mammography system to image contrast uptake or areas of increased vascular activity, which is typical of cancers. This can help image through dense breast tissue to find cancers that are otherwise masked by dense breast tissue.

Radiologists should be aware of these clinical factors when reading CEM scans

The degree of background parenchymal enhancement on CEM during certain days of a premenopausal woman's cycle could impact how radiologists interpret the exam.

January 25, 2023

Prenatal MRI reveals placental damage caused by COVID

In general, any COVID diagnosis raises risks of fetal harm during pregnancy, but fetuses of women who have been diagnosed with a pre-Omicron variant of the virus are most at risk of developmental impairment, according to new research.

January 23, 2023

DBT guidance produces a significant drop in procedure time during radioseed localization

The savings in time and radiation dose do not come at the expense of surgical outcomes or complications.

January 19, 2023
Automated breast ultrasound (ABUS) allows for reproducible breast imaging without variation based on which sonographer performs the exam. It also can help centers were they are short on qualified breast sonographers.  Breast ultrasound can help identify cancers, or benign cysts, even in women with very dense breast tissue. At the GE Healthcare booth at RSNA.

Commercially available AI systems excel in cancer detection in dense breasts

A multi-modal AI approach can combine information from both ABUS and DM, which could be especially beneficial in resource poor regions where experienced radiologists might not be readily available.

January 18, 2023
Example of artificial intelligence generated measurements to quantify the size of a lung cancer nodule during a followup CT scan to see if the lesion is regressing with treatment. This type of automation can aid radiologists by doing the tedious, time consuming work. Photo by Dave Fornell

8 trends in radiology technology to watch in 2023

Here is a list of some key trends in radiology technology from our editors based on our coverage of the radiology market.

January 18, 2023

Around the web

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

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

SCAI and four other major healthcare organizations signed a joint letter in support of intravascular ultrasound. 

Trimed Popup
Trimed Popup