AJR. American journal of roentgenology
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AJR Am J Roentgenol · Mar 2016
Review Meta AnalysisA Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Diagnostic Performance of MRI for Evaluation of Acute Appendicitis.
A meta-analysis was performed to determine the accuracy of MRI in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis in the general population and in subsets of pregnant patients and children. ⋯ MRI has a high accuracy for the diagnosis of acute appendicitis, for a wide range of patients, and may be acceptable for use as a first-line diagnostic test.
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AJR Am J Roentgenol · Mar 2016
JOURNAL CLUB: Evidence of Interstitial Lung Disease on Low-Dose Chest CT Images: Prevalence, Patterns, and Progression.
The purposes of this study were to determine the prevalence of interstitial lung disease (ILD) in a cohort undergoing low-dose CT screening for lung cancer, to identify the CT patterns of fibrosis, and to determine prognostic factors of disease progression. ⋯ A potential added benefit of CT screening is earlier diagnosis of ILD in older smokers, who are at increased risk. Radiologists should recognize the earliest findings of ILD and understand the importance of early recognition.
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1. CT is superior to pulmonary function tests and chest radiography for the assessment and monitoring of cystic fibrosis (CF)-related lung disease and, also, of pediatric bronchiectasis not caused by CF (hereafter referred to as non-CF bronchiectasis). 2. ⋯ Pulmonary MRI, with or without the use of inhaled hyperpolarized gas, can be performed to obtain functional information, and, in dedicated centers, it may yield imaging results comparable to those obtained by CT. 5. Gastrointestinal and pancreaticobiliary manifestations of CF are observed with greater frequency in adults, because of increased life expectancy.
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AJR Am J Roentgenol · Feb 2016
Potentially Important Extracolonic Findings at Screening CT Colonography: Incidence and Outcomes Data From a Clinical Screening Program.
The effect of detection of extracolonic findings at screening CT colonography (CTC) remains controversial. Our objective is to analyze the incidence and outcomes of unsuspected potentially significant (CT Colonography Reporting and Data System [C-RADS] extracolonic category E4) findings in a population undergoing clinical CTC screening. ⋯ Potentially significant extracolonic findings in asymptomatic adults at screening CTC are uncommon (2-3% of cases). However, most of these findings (68%) will prove to be clinically significant, including a number of malignancies and aneurysms requiring treatment or surveillance.
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The goals of the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) can be summed up by the Triple Aim, as defined by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement: Improve population health, optimize the patient experience, and reduce the costs of care. ⋯ Despite recent reimbursement reductions, radiologists have increasing opportunities to participate in value-based payment programs and should leverage those opportunities.