Journal of the American College of Radiology : JACR
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Comparative Study
Comparison of standard-dose vs low-dose attenuation correction CT on image quality and positron emission tomographic attenuation correction.
To determine if low-dose attenuation correction computed tomography (CTAC) 1) provides images with acceptable anatomic definition and noise compared with standard-dose CTAC and 2) provides acceptable positron emission tomographic attenuation correction. ⋯ Low-dose CTAC significantly reduced the effective dose while providing optimal positron emission tomographic attenuation correction. However, because of decreased image quality, low-dose CTAC was not acceptable for diagnostic interpretation.
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The current study explores the substitution of ultrasound (US) for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of musculoskeletal (MSK) disorders by describing the recent use and costs of MSK imaging in the Medicare population, projecting these trends from 2006 to 2020, and estimating cost-savings involved in substituting MSK US for MSK MRI, when appropriate. ⋯ MRI MSK use has grown substantially from 1996 to 2005. The substitution of MSK US, when appropriate, would lead to large cost-savings for Medicare.