Beginning with diagnostic imaging and other medical tests, physicians in Pennsylvania eventually discovered a recessive gene that caused their young Amish patient’s newly identified disease, which was only found in other Amish children.

According to an article in Medical News Today, the  boy was behind in growth rate and developmental milestones. He had recurring diarrhea and was visibly different from his peers. He had an enlarged … read more »

Up to half of prostate cancer patients, according to some studies, choose to take herbal or dietary supplements, with the hope of further improving their sexual potency and lessening some of their symptoms. Patients may experience even more complications, though, if they take these products while they are getting radiation therapy treatments.

At William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, MI, researchers tested three common prostate specific supplements taken in conjunction … read more »

University of Missouri researchers are studying how photoacoustics, or a laser-induced ultrasound, could help scientists locate the general area of the lymph node where melanoma cells could be residing. This new technology could help doctors identify the stage of melanoma more accurately.

“This method can be used to determine if the cancer has spread from stage 2, where the melanoma is … read more »

A new bone lesion in a patient with metastatic cancer is most likely the result of the primary tumor spreading, rather than a benign growth or a secondary malignant tumor, says a study recently published in the American Journal of Roentgenology. However, radiologists should still evaluate each case to determine whether a biopsy is needed.

In the study, researchers looked at … read more »

Image-guided percutaneous biopsy is a safe and accurate procedure for patients 80 years and older, but the results don’t always lead to treatment, according to a new Mayo Clinic study. The findings appear in the January issue of the Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology.

Looking at data from nearly 14,000 cases, researchers compared image-guided biopsy results of 722 elderly patients … read more »

A recent study was conducted to assess the accuracy of 3.0-T contrast-enhanced MR angiography (MRA) in evaluating patients with arterial hypertension and suspected renal artery stenosis.

This prospective analysis was comprised of 29 patients. The results indicate that contrast-enhanced 3.0-T MR angiography is reliable in excluding renal artery stenosis. … read more »

The growing use of CT scans before appendectomies seems to help lower the number of unneeded surgeries in women of childbearing age, according to a study in the February issue of Radiology.

“We found that rising utiization of preoperative CT over the past decade, along with advances in CT technology, coincided with a significant decrease in negative appendectomies among women 45 … read more »

The objective of a recent study was to perform a retrospective review of lesions categorized as “probably benign” initially and then diagnosed as malignancy on follow-up mammograms.

Methodology
The study included 129 mammographic lesions categorized as “probably benign” initially, but were subsequently diagnosed as malignant, and 129 control mammographic lesions that were categorized as “probably benign” and deemed to be stable and … read more »

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) combined with proteomic analyses of blood samples could help doctors catch ovarian cancer in its early stages, potentially saving the lives of many women, a new study says. Last year, about 14,600 women died from ovarian cancer, the fifth leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S.

“The grim ovarian cancer statistics are attributed to the fact that … read more »

Distinguishing between benign and malignant liver tumors using contrast-enhanced ultrasound images (CEUS) takes an experienced eye, Italian researchers say. While CEUS can be helpful in diagnosing liver tumors, interpreting such images can be a challenge, according to the researchers. 

The team’s study, which appears in the current issue of Journal of Ultrasound Medicine, used retrospective data from 286 biopsy-proven liver tumors … read more »