Category: Latest Posts

Congratulations to Samuel Brody, MS, and his colleagues at Penn State College of Medicine in Hershey for taking home Best Oral Presentation Abstract in Thoracic Imaging during ARRS 2026.

Brody et al.’s research reveals that for patients with empyema, the timing of a CT scan can actually be a matter of life and death. Getting a scan on the same day as ER admission significantly improves outcomes, compared to waiting just 1–3 days.

By the Numbers: A study of 4,500 patients showed that early (i.e., same-day) CT led to:

• 51% lower mortality hazard;
• 34% reduced risk of invasive surgery;
• 25% lower ventilator requirement.

The Catch? Although early imaging improved survival, it was associated with a 37.5% rise in all-cause ER readmissions, albeit subsequent readmission frequency remained similar to the late group.

RadFYI: Diagnostic delays allow for fibrous septations to form, making treatment that much harder. Implementing same-day CT protocols in the ER could be a game-changer for reducing mortality and invasive procedures.

New insight from ARRS 2026 would suggest that weight loss from glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists may well be “healthy”—mirroring the body composition changes seen in exercise, rather than pathological wasting.

Laying Waste: As semaglutide use explodes, indeed, rads are observing significant shifts in CT-based body composition. Understanding whether muscle loss is a clinical concern or a byproduct of healthy weight reduction remains critical for accurate reporting.

Concerns continue to circulate vis-à-vis muscle loss in patients on GLP-1 therapy; however, as Perry J. Pickhardt, MD, previewed during “Opportunistic Screening with Imaging,” the impending publication of a large, multicenter trial analyzing intrapatient CT changes indicates such concerns could be overstated.

• Liver Detox: Patients show significantly smaller and less fatty livers, indicating a direct hit to metabolic syndrome.
• Quality > Quantity: While muscle volume may decrease slightly, quality often improves via reduced myosteatosis.
• Exercise Parallel: The fat loss (both visceral and subcutaneous) categories look nearly identical to weight loss achieved through healthy exercise.
• Cachexia: No, GLP-1 weight loss doesn’t mirror the scary signatures of disease-driven muscle attenuation.

RadFYI: Retrospective studies show that even when patients lose weight, their metabolic profile—that ratio of fat to lean tissue quality—moves in a positive direction. And this reassuring data seems to suggest that GLP-1-induced weight loss may simply be a metabolic shift, rather than a muscular crisis.

The 2024 update to the McDonald criteria formally integrated the central vein sign (CVS) and paramagnetic rim lesions (PRL) as optional diagnostic markers for multiple sclerosis (MS). These markers offer high specificity, helping to differentiate MS from mimics, à la small-vessel ischemic disease.

Pro Tip: While many protocols suggest adding a T2-FLAIR or specialized SWI sequence, as Joshua P. Nickerson, MD, tipped us off during ARRS 2026, you can often visualize the CVS using existing 3D data and your PACS vendor’s MPR tool.

• Process—Load a 3D SWI image in the MPR tool, then right-click and drag a 3D FLAIR image on top of it to create a composite map.
• Benefit—Using a slider bar to blend the two images allows you to confirm if a vessel is centrally located within a T2 hyperintensity…without adding length to your clinical protocol.

More From McDonald ‘24:

• Optic Nerve: Now recognized as a fifth topographic site for assessing dissemination in space (DIS).
• Rule of 6: Identifying 6 or more CVS-positive lesions can substitute for dissemination in time (DIT) criteria.
• CSF Markers: Kappa free light chains are an approved substitute for DIT, providing a quantitative alternative to traditional oligoclonal bands.
• Stricter Thresholds: For patients over 50 (or those with vascular risk factors), a diagnosis now strongly recommends the presence of a spinal cord lesion, CSF positivity, or at least 6 CVS-positive lesions.

RadFYI: Imagers should transition to structured reporting that includes the count of CVS-positive lesions, as well as PRLs. Whereas 3T is preferred for detecting these subtle markers, creative use of PACS post-processing may help you satisfy the latest standards.

Recognizing the radiographic progression of congestive heart failure (CHF) is essential for identifying the severity of pulmonary edema and guiding clinical intervention. As Matthew D. Cham, MD, pointed out during the ARRS Online Course “Comprehensive Insights into Heart and Lung Transplant Imaging,” imaging findings correlate directly with increasing hydrostatic pressure—evolving from simple cardiac enlargement to life-threatening alveolar edema:

• Early Stage: Often, the only visible finding is cardiomegaly, while the lung fields remain clear and free of effusions.
• Interstitial Edema: As pressure rises, signs of interstitial fluid appear. Look for lung markings, as well as peribronchial cuffing and Kerley B lines.
• Alveolar Edema: This advanced stage presents as perihilar airspace disease and pleural effusions. On CT, this may manifest as diffuse ground-glass opacification.

RadFYI: In cases of severe alveolar edema, the fluid often settles in a typical perihilar distribution known as the batwing pattern. Moreover, chronic CHF can lead to additional systemic findings, including pericardial effusions, mediastinal lymphadenopathy, as well as ascites.

Sure, you’ll read a non-contrast head CT for headaches every day. But as Harprit S. Bedi, MD, reminded us during ARRS 2026, the rad’s real art lies in identifying dural venous sinus thrombosis (DVST)…before that CTA is even ordered.

DVST Dx: Symptoms of DVST can be insidious or acute, often presenting in high-risk patients (e.g., on oral contraceptives or experiencing pain worsened by valsalva). Since missing those subtleties can delay treatment for intracranial bleeds and venous congestion, look for these on that non-contrast CT:

• Hyperdensity: Typically, a thrombosed sinus measures >66 Hounsfield units (HU).
  • 73 HU—The thrombosed sigmoid sinus in Bedi’s case above, compared to 47 HU in normal vessels.
• Three Signs:
  • Triangle—Check for increased density in the dural sinuses.
  • Cord—Look for hyperdense cortical veins.
  • Empty Delta—Classic, if patient proceeds to a CTA.
• HU/Hematocrit Ratio: This tool can help differentiate true thrombosis from hemoconcentration, particularly in anemic patients.

RadFYI: Don’t just look for the bleed; look for the cause. If you see parenchymal changes or a hyperdense sinus on a non-con CT, use the HU tool to increase your confidence.

Heartiest of congratulations to Dr. David DiSantis of Mayo Clinic Jacksonville on garnering Best Overall Scientific Program Oral Presentation Abstract at ARRS 2026. “GI Fluoroscopy: What Are We Still Doing?” provides a data-driven roadmap for modernizing trainee education.

Venue Change: Despite the rise of cross-sectional imaging, GI fluoroscopy remains a pillar of clinical practice—with >2.2 million procedures performed nationwide annually. However, where these procedures happen is changing. Using 2023 Medicare data, DiSantis revealed a massive disparity in procedure volumes as you move down the alimentary canal:

• Swallowing studies—1,085,826

• Esophagrams—551,897

• Upper GI—409,174

• Small bowel—152,967

• Contrast enemas—74,445 (double contrast study considered “moribund” with only 15,302 performed)

Above the Diaphragm: >1.6 million fluoroscopic procedures are concentrated in swallowing studies and esophagrams. To ensure rads-in-training provide useful interpretations in real-world practice, residency programs must shift their emphasis to areas “above the diaphragm.”

RadFYI: Training must follow the volume. This award-winning research proves that mastering the upper GI tract is the most critical skill set for the modern rad performing fluoroscopy.

Indeed, photon-counting CT (PCCT) offers a massive leap in spatial resolution for detecting submillimeter metastatic nodules in children. But as Joseph Cao, MD, called in the ARRS Online Course PCCT: It Counts in Children, Too, it isn’t a free lunch either. Maximizing performance requires a careful balance between resolution, noise, and kernel selection—especially for long-term follow-up of osteosarcoma, when the ability to identify tiny metastatic lung nodules as patients age is so very vital.

Noise Trade: Whereas UHR mode at 0.2 mm offers incredible detail, alas, it does introduce a whole lotta static.

• Cost: This noise must be compensated for via increased radiation dose or higher levels of iterative reconstruction, which can still result in grainy images.
• Alternative: Cao suggests that 0.4 mm reconstructions—already superior to prior scanner generations—may provide the sweet spot for detecting submillimeter nodules sans the noise penalty.

Edge Watch: Kernel selection significantly impacts image quality in the lung parenchyma.

• Flaw: Using standard BL kernels on current PCCT platforms can cause a distinct loss of signal along the pleural interface.
• Fix: Quantitative kernels preserve this signal, maintaining the integrity of the edge across various iterative reconstruction levels.

RadFYI: Don’t rely solely on out-of-the-box vendor packages. Rads can run 20 or more different reconstruction variations to determine which settings work best for their specific pediatric populations.

Molecular breast imaging (MBI) continues to gain traction as an efficient supplemental screening tool, balancing clinical utility with ease of implementation for rads and patients alike. Unlike purely anatomical imaging, MBI highlights metabolically active lesions.

And as Amy Lynn Conners, MD, explained during “Streamlining Breast Imaging Workflows” at ARRS 2026, this feature makes it popular with oncologists, who often view these active findings as more “threatening” to the patient.

Pros:

• Ease of Adoption: MBI acquisition is not highly operator-dependent, and the learning curve for rads is short. Dr. Conners noted one practice successfully transitioned after only a two-hour training session!
• Efficiency: Scans are quick to read and, compared to other techniques, your data storage requirements are minimal.
• Patient Experience: Generally, the procedure is well-tolerated (Conners’ patients have sat and doomscrolled during their scans), and it’s relatively affordable—ca. $700 without insurance.
• Supply Chain: The necessary tracer, technetium, is easily acquired.

Cons:

• Sensitivity & Radiation: MBI is slightly less sensitive than MRI and requires an injection and radiation exposure.
• Hardware Hurdles: Implementation requires the purchase of a dedicated breast imaging camera. The market for these vendors has historically been “unstable and volatile,” posing a barrier to entry.
• Intervention Gap: While MBI-guided biopsy exists, it is not yet widely available for follow-up.

RadFYI: MBI offers a high-yield, oncologist-approved supplemental screening option that is easy to read and patient-friendly—provided your facility can navigate that initial equipment investment.

Placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) occurs when the placenta adheres to or invades the myometrium. Its incidence has risen sharply since the 1980s, primarily driven by the increasing number of C-section deliveries. Moreover, ca. 80% of PAS cases also involve placenta previa in the affected area.

Pearls: As Cara Connolly, MD, remarked during “Mistakes to Avoid in Obstetric Ultrasound” at ARRS 2026, differentiating the exact degree of invasion on US is incredibly difficult. To wit, clinicians should prioritize identifying these key markers:

• High-Flow Lacunae: Irregular hypoechoic spaces creating a Swiss cheese or moth-eaten appearance.
• Myometrial Thinning: A loss of the normal hypoechoic zone between the placenta and myometrium or a general decrease in retroplacental thickness.
• Color Doppler: These placental spaces will fill brightly with signal, indicating high flow.
• Invasion Signs: In cases of percreta, look for abnormalities at the bladder and uterine interface.

Pitfalls: Obstetric US is highly susceptible to errors involving terminology, artifacts, as well as misinterpreting normal variants or mimics. Dr. Connolly emphasized that understanding these mistakes is crucial for interpreting exams conducted off-site or in low-volume centers. Focus on the placenta and cervix during the second and third trimesters.

RadFYI: Whereas US remains steadfast for primary screening, MRI should be utilized as a problem-solving resource when your US findings are inconclusive or complex.

Participation in youth sports is surging, and elbow injuries have nearly doubled since the 1970s, with 31% of youth baseball players now experiencing pain annually. Because pediatric growth plates are weaker and less elastic than tendons or ligaments, they are the primary site of failure when subjected to the repetitive torque of overhead motions.

Full Count: “Little League elbow” is a clinical catch-all for a spectrum of overuse injuries. The most common manifestation is medial epicondyle apophysitis, an injury occurring during the acceleration phase of pitching when valgus stress creates significant medial traction.

During his own ARRS Annual Meeting presentation on upper extremity trauma in peds populations, Vivek Kalia, MD, chair and medical director of radiology at Scottish Rite Children Hospital in Dallas, TX, noted the following key clinical presentations:

• Gradual Onset: Typically, athletes report a steady decrease in pitch velocity and localized pain over the medial epicondyle that worsens with activity.
• Overuse Mechanism: It’s heavily aggravated by inadequate rest (i.e., high pitch counts).
• Acute or Chronic? Whereas apophysitis is a chronic stress injury, a single high-force event can lead to an acute medial epicondyle avulsion fracture.

Additionally, Dr. Kalia’s play calling here prioritized comparing the symptomatic elbow to the contralateral side to identify subtle abnormalities.

• X-ray: Look for a widened physis, sclerosis, and subcortical lucency of the medial epicondyle.
• MRI: This modality is more sensitive, showing diffuse marrow edema within the apophysis and potential fluid within the growth plate.
• UCL: In peds patients with apophysitis, usually, the ulnar collateral ligament remains intact, as the bone fails before the ligament.

RadFYI: Early recognition is critical to prevent long-term sequelae, like osteoarthritis. While rest and physical therapy are the mainstays of treatment, prevention through strict activity limitations, as well as pitch count guidelines, remains the most effective strategy.

When done correctly, legal consulting offers rads a significant path to income expansion, all the while providing a frontline look at how to protect their practices from, well, malpractice. For starters, as Seth Kligerman, MD, said during Financial Wellness for Practicing Radiologists and Beyond at ARRS 2026, the gig pays “very well.”

Case Review: Assessing litigation not only helps avoid both the everyday pitfalls and those liabilities you didn’t even see coming, there are moral obligations here, too. Expert witnesses often address egregious medical mistakes and can defend colleagues when care more than meets the standard. Dr. Kligerman’s playbook for expansion also includes:

• Rep > Ads: While many rads do use third-party companies, relying on word-of-mouth builds a more sustainable, higher-quality offering.
• Both Sides: Indeed, expert witnesses must be willing to review both plaintiff and defense cases.
• Peer Learning: Success requires the ability to explain the complexities of modern imaging, medical physics, advanced anatomy, etc. not for peer review, but instead to a jury of peers.
• Claptrap: Alas, there are “morally ambiguous” witnesses who’ll say whatever they’re paid to.

Fact vs. Expert: As the late Leonard Berlin noted, legally, rads remain required to testify as fact witnesses for their own cases (frequently for a nominal fee), but the expert witness role is voluntary and involves negotiated rates. Most courts won’t compel rads to provide opinions against their will, unless they possess “unique” knowledge that no other witness can provide.

RadFYI: Expert witnessing is a lucrative way to leverage specialized knowledge, but it requires a high standard for what constitutes malpractice, as well as one’s own willingness to navigate ethical and legal entanglements alike.

The split scar sign, first described in 2020, is a powerful predictor for sustained complete clinical response and pathological complete response in rectal cancer patients following treatment.

Bio Marker: The split scar sign helps rads identify patients who have responded exceptionally well to therapy—often preventing the overcalling of residual tumor. And as Professor Kirsten Gormly of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists (RANZCR) illustrated during the ARRS 2026 Global Partner Society Course, to determine if a split scar sign is positive, simply use the continuous line rule:

• Positive—If you can draw a continuous thin inner black line over the scar with a marker (or “texter” as it’s called down under) without lifting it off the image, the sign is present.
• Negative—If you have to lift that marker texter, or if the scar is so thick it requires a bigger texter, the sign is in absentia.

Additional features from ARRS and RANZCR’s Rectal MRI: Best Practices from Ocean to Ocean to further set straight the split scar sign:

• Inner Winner: The most critical component is the continuous thin inner scar.
• Optional Outer: Whereas this sign is so named for its split look, you don’t always need an outer scar, especially if the original tumor was not T3.
• Virtue Signals: Look for intermediate signal in the central muscle and the potential for mucinous degeneration (i.e., higher signal) or perforating vessels to be present within the layers.
• Black Mass: The black layers on MRI represent submucosal collagen and fibrosis merging with muscle cells.

RadFYI: Misinterpreting these thin scars as residual tumor is a common pitfall. Mastering this T2 assessment allows for more accurate posttreatment restaging and better informed clinical management.