Diagnostic News and Research

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MRI cost-effective for some women at high-risk of breast cancer

A computer model simulation suggests that adding breast MRI screening may be cost-effective for women of certain ages who carry BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations.

23 May 2006

Research could lead to new treatments for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

Scientists at the University of Michigan Medical School have identified biochemical signals that attract pathogenic cells to damaged lung tissue - one of the first steps in a chain of events leading to a lethal disease called idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis or IPF.

23 May 2006

Comprehensive care for complex, high-risk pregnancies

As many as 3 percent of all pregnancies result in the birth of a baby with chromosomal anomalies like Down syndrome or structural anomalies such as congenital heart disease.

23 May 2006

Tension headache may actually be temporomandibular muscle and joint disorder

People whose recurrent headaches have been diagnosed as tension-related actually may be suffering from temporomandibular muscle and joint disorder, or TMJD, a study headed by a researcher from the University at Buffalo's School of Dental Medicine has shown.

23 May 2006

Friendship enriched by bad gossip about others

According to newly released research sharing negative attitudes about others may have positive consequences because it promotes closeness and friendship.

22 May 2006

Discovery of two gene variants associated with increased risk for early heart attack

Scientists at University of California - San Francisco (UCSF), Celera Genomics and The Cleveland Clinic have discovered two gene variants associated with a significantly increased risk for early heart attack, or myocardial infarction (MI).

12 May 2006

Researchers improve delivery of health care for pediatric patients

Having a young child scheduled for a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT) scan to diagnose a potentially serious condition can be worrying for parents.

11 May 2006

New phase-contrast microscopy developed at PSI enhances X-ray images

Imaging techniques are increasingly at the forefront of progress in science and technology.

10 May 2006

Promising chemo, therapeutic viruses, cutting-edge surgery debut at M. D. Anderson Cancer Center

Brain tumor specialists at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center are poised on the brink of a new era.

10 May 2006

Alveolar type I cells as diagnostic markers for acute lung injury

Recent work in an Oklahoma State University lab on type I cells in the alveoli has opened up a new field of investigation.

8 May 2006

Significant changes in tumor growth can be detected through short interval follow-up

These growths may have important clinical implications in the management of patients, enabling early discontinuation of potentially toxic chemotherapy drugs.

4 May 2006

Low radiation dose still means successful interventional procedures

Radiation dose can be reduced by as much as 88 percent for common interventional radiology procedures and still be safe and effective, a new study shows.

3 May 2006

CT colonography even safer than previously thought

The safety profile for CT colonography (CTC) is extremely favorable, particularly for the purposes of screening patients with no symptoms and when distending the colon using an automated carbon dioxide technique, a finding that goes against the higher complication rates for CTC reported by other groups, according to a new study.

3 May 2006

Percutaneous image-guided biopsy of renal masses is safe and accurate

For the study, the researchers reviewed 153 kidney biopsies in 126 patients. The researchers found that more than 60% of patients had a change in their treatment--whether surgery, tumor ablation, chemotherapy or radiation--due to biopsy results, and that as many as 75 unnecessary kidney removals were potentially avoided.

3 May 2006

Evidence-based treatments for alcohol dependence

Medical management combined with the drug naltrexone or with a specialized behavioral therapy can be effective treatments for alcohol dependence, according to a study in the May 3 issue of JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association.

3 May 2006

Combined pharmacotherapies and behavioral interventions for alcohol dependence

While many treatment approaches were found helpful, the authors report that the patients who were most successful in abstaining from alcohol 16 weeks after treatment were those prescribed naltrexone under medical management and those participating in a multi-session program of alcohol counseling delivered by a behavioral specialist.

3 May 2006

New radiation protection technique significantly reduces physician radiation exposure during coronary angiography

Using the new device, physicians monitor patients' angiograms and control exam table movement from behind a lead plastic shield. A newly developed extension bar allows the physician to remain safely behind the shield and still retain table control for panning, according to Martin Magram, MD, developer of the new technique and assistant professor in the department of diagnostic radiology.

3 May 2006

CT angiography is highly accurate in detecting high-grade artery stenosis

MD-CTA (64-slice CT angiography) is highly accurate in detecting and grading extracranial internal carotid artery (ICA) stenoses in which the artery is closed between 70-90% when compared to color-coded Doppler sonography, power Doppler and B-flow ultrasound

3 May 2006

Genetic and environmental factors impact chronic fatigue syndrome patients

People who suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) have a genetic make up that affects the body's ability to adapt to change, according to a series of papers released last week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

2 May 2006

Amyloid protein content in the brain linked to Alzheimer's disease risk

Researchers from the Flanders Interuniversity Institute for Biotechnology (VIB) connected to the University of Antwerp are the first to show that the quantity of amyloid protein in brain cells is a major risk factor for Alzheimer's disease. Amyloid protein has already been known to be the primary component of the senile plaques in the brains of patients. The new discovery demonstrates that the greater the quantity of the protein that is produced, the younger the dementia patient is.

28 Apr 2006