Current Problems in Diagnostic Radiology最新文献

{"title":"Impact of turnaround time in radiology: The good, the bad, and the ugly","authors":"Brandon Ritchie DO,&nbsp;Lesley Summerville MD,&nbsp;Max Sheng MD,&nbsp;Monica Choi BS,&nbsp;Sree Tirumani MD,&nbsp;Nikhil Ramaiya MD","doi":"10.1067/j.cpradiol.2025.04.018","DOIUrl":"10.1067/j.cpradiol.2025.04.018","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Turnaround time (TAT) has evolved into a complex metric in the current era of diagnostic radiology. Initially monitoring a radiologist’s ability to efficiently generate a report, there is now a hierarchy of stakeholders who are affected by its modern-day interpretation and use. This article explores “more than the metric” and reviews the multi-faceted use and implementation of TAT through the lens of a large academic hospital network. The authors highlight “The Good” of turnaround time as a useful quality metric that guides patient outcomes, organizational performance, and revenue generation, and they discuss how it has been implemented at their institution to positively influence workflow and guide departmental staffing. The “bad” implications of TAT are discussed, which can strain radiology departmental workflows and propagate issues such as delays in finalizing reports for inpatient and outpatient worklists in the setting of rapidly growing imaging volumes. Broader systemic issues of TAT are discussed within “The Ugly” section of this review, which highlights TAT’s negative impact on resident education, physician burnout, and its creation of “New School” and “Old School” radiologist practices. The article provides further discussion of existing strategies and future directions that can mitigate the negative impacts of TAT, including various staffing models, approaches to optimize workflow systems, and methods for re-prioritizing STAT cases using artificial intelligence. The authors conclude with a call for balanced, continued implementation of TAT as a metric but not at the expense of sacrificing the quality of work performed by radiologists and trainees.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51617,"journal":{"name":"Current Problems in Diagnostic Radiology","volume":"55 2","pages":"Pages 268-272"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144003651","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Nationwide survey of benefits provided to radiology residents in the United States","authors":"Muhammad Y. Hameed ,&nbsp;Surbhi Raichandani ,&nbsp;Andrew Baker ,&nbsp;Evan D. Hicks ,&nbsp;Paula K. Roberson ,&nbsp;Roopa Ram","doi":"10.1067/j.cpradiol.2025.04.009","DOIUrl":"10.1067/j.cpradiol.2025.04.009","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This study aims to comprehensively evaluate key benefits offered by various diagnostic radiology<span> residency programs in the United States, focusing on stipends, research support, educational resources, time-off policies, mini-fellowships, and additional perks. The goal is to offer insights into the diverse landscape of resident compensation, as well as the variety and type of benefits.</span></div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Data collection utilized an anonymous survey of diagnostic radiology<span> residency programs, addressing stipends, research support, educational resources, time-off policies, mini-fellowships, and additional benefits. A structured questionnaire facilitated responses from program representatives which were collected during March-April 2023. The survey employed quantitative and qualitative questions to gather comprehensive information. Descriptive statistics and correlations were subsequently performed to analyze the responses.</span></div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Analysis of stipends revealed significant geographic and program-related variations, impacting resident compensation. Analysis of post pandemic era stipends showed that R1 stipends ranged from less than $45,000 to over $65,000, with statistically significant differences across geographic regions (p = 0.01). R1 stipends varied significantly across different Cost-of-Living Index (COLI) groups (p &lt; 0.01). While most programs provide support for educational and research activities, such as conference leave and funding for specialized courses, there was considerable variability in the type and extent of benefits offered, reflecting a lack of standardization among residency programs.</div></div><div><h3>Discussion</h3><div>The study outcomes prompt actionable considerations for optimizing benefits provided by radiology residency programs. Geographic and program-specific stipend variations underscore the importance of establishing stipend compensation at par with cost-of-living expenses. Comprehensive knowledge of the trends and variation in residency benefits could guide program enhancements, with the overarching goal of supplementing current stipends to enhance resident satisfaction and well-being.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51617,"journal":{"name":"Current Problems in Diagnostic Radiology","volume":"55 2","pages":"Pages 220-225"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144050143","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Detection of small pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: The potential of cinematic rendering in earlier lesion detection","authors":"Hajra Arshad ,&nbsp;Sebastian Krueger ,&nbsp;Linda C. Chu ,&nbsp;Elliot K. Fishman","doi":"10.1067/j.cpradiol.2025.10.018","DOIUrl":"10.1067/j.cpradiol.2025.10.018","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Small pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDACs) generally have a more favorable prognosis; however, up to 40 % may be missed on CT scan. Cinematic rendering (CR) is a novel three-dimensional post-processing technique that accentuates subtle textural differences and holds the potential to improve detection of small tumors. It utilizes a complex global lighting model generating photorealistic images with enhanced visualization of shadows and texture based on volumetric scalar fields (Hounsfield units). While CR has been studied for pre-surgical planning and vascular anatomy assessment, its role in detecting small PDACs remains underexplored. This pictorial essay highlights the potential of CR in detecting small PDACs and differentiating surface textures, while also addressing its limitations and future directions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51617,"journal":{"name":"Current Problems in Diagnostic Radiology","volume":"55 2","pages":"Pages 339-347"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145433523","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A framework for evaluating residency recruitment disparities: a single-institution study on the impact of virtual interviews on gender diversity in diagnostic radiology","authors":"Alyssa DiCosmo MD ,&nbsp;Jonathan H. Borden MD ,&nbsp;Joan Skelly MS ,&nbsp;Ryan Walsh MD","doi":"10.1067/j.cpradiol.2026.01.009","DOIUrl":"10.1067/j.cpradiol.2026.01.009","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Diversity within medical training enhances academic development and patient care. The residency recruitment and selection process plays a critical role in shaping workforce diversity, yet no comprehensive framework exists to systematically evaluate these processes.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This study applies a novel conceptual framework to assess the gender distribution of applicants to our institution’s Diagnostic Radiology residency program before and after the transition from in-person to virtual interviews.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We analyzed ERAS data from 2017 to 2023, examining gender distribution at each stage of the recruitment and selection process: application, interview selection, ranking, and matching. Statistical analyses included chi-square tests and cumulative logistic regression to compare outcomes between in-person (2017–2020) and virtual (2021–2023) interview cycles.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The proportion of female applicants, interviewees, and ranked candidates remained stable between in-person and virtual interviews. However, significantly fewer women matched into the program during virtual interviews (5.6% vs. 37.5%, <em>p</em> = 0.02). There were no significant changes in gender distribution across rank list quartiles.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Our novel framework provides a systematic approach to evaluating residency recruitment and selection processes, allowing for a more nuanced interpretation of where disparities emerge. Applying this framework revealed that while selection practices remained consistent, the transition to virtual interviews may have hindered successful recruitment of female applicants. Future studies can leverage this framework to examine additional diversity metrics and guide institutional efforts toward more equitable residency selection.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51617,"journal":{"name":"Current Problems in Diagnostic Radiology","volume":"55 2","pages":"Pages 253-257"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146032118","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mismatch in productivity calculated from wRVU metric and the actual number of images in musculoskeletal radiographic studies","authors":"Oganes Ashikyan MD ,&nbsp;Alex Zhu BS ,&nbsp;Travis Browning MD ,&nbsp;Cecilia Brewington MD ,&nbsp;Avneesh Chhabra MD","doi":"10.1067/j.cpradiol.2025.01.001","DOIUrl":"10.1067/j.cpradiol.2025.01.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><span>The work relative value unit (wRVU) measures the physician's work involved in performing a service and is commonly used to quantify physician productivity. A critical component factored in wRVUs is the time required to perform a service. In </span>musculoskeletal radiology<span>, this time correlates directly with the number of images produced per radiograph. The purpose of this project was to evaluate whether the actual number of acquired images matches the number of views indicated in musculoskeletal radiographs CPT code descriptions.</span></div><div>A query of our internal database returned 76,204 musculoskeletal radiograph reports. 440 random radiographs were reviewed to evaluate variability in the number of images obtained. This sample consisted of ten studies from each of the forty-four musculoskeletal codes. We recorded the number of actual images obtained. 242 studies from the safety net health care system and 198 studies from the university associated hospitals and clinics were evaluated.</div><div><span>Seventy-five studies (31 %) were found to have mismatched number of images among the 242 studies from the safety net health care system. Sixty-six studies (33 %) were found to have mismatched number of images among the 198 studies sample from university associated tertiary care system. There was significant difference between the extra images obtained at two different health care systems (</span><em>p</em> &lt; 0.001). There were more studies with extra images in the safety net system compared to the university hospital.</div><div>The commonly used wRVU metric has broad variability in the assessment of work productivity for musculoskeletal radiographs given the variance in the number of images obtained.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51617,"journal":{"name":"Current Problems in Diagnostic Radiology","volume":"55 2","pages":"Pages 229-233"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143018438","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Imaging in Pott’s spine: A review of typical and atypical imaging features and diagnostic challenges","authors":"Dr. Rashmi Dixit,&nbsp;Dr. Sonali Garg,&nbsp;Dr. Gaurav Shanker Pradhan","doi":"10.1067/j.cpradiol.2025.06.010","DOIUrl":"10.1067/j.cpradiol.2025.06.010","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Pott's spine is associated with high morbidity, long-term disabling sequelae and even mortality. The classical paradiscal form, where there is destruction of end plates of adjacent 2-3 vertebral bodies along with intervening disc involvement and associated paravertebral abscess is well recognized. However, due to its varied clinical and radiological presentations, it remains a diagnostic challenge often resulting in delay in diagnosis. This is especially true of countries where tuberculosis has been almost eliminated but now are witnessing increase in incidence both due to immigration and HIV infection. Overlooking tuberculosis as a differential diagnostic consideration is very likely when the radiological presentation is not classical and consequent delay in diagnosis may have devastating consequences for the patient. In this review, we aim to describe various typical and atypical imaging findings of Pott’s spine with special emphasis on atypical presentations including single vertebral body involvement, isolated posterior element involvement, intraspinal epidural abscess without vertebral involvement and skip lesions along with differential diagnostic considerations like metastases, fractures and spinal infections. The major focus is on magnetic resonance imaging findings which is the imaging modality of choice in patients presenting with neurological symptoms referable to the spine. Radiographic and Computed tomography findings are also discussed in brief. We also describe treatment and post treatment imaging in brief. Radiologists need to be aware of these atypical presentations as they may be the first to raise the possibility of tuberculosis which can avoid disabling long term sequalae.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51617,"journal":{"name":"Current Problems in Diagnostic Radiology","volume":"55 2","pages":"Pages 311-320"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144593221","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Implementing peer learning in a pediatric division in a university-based health system: Review and illustration of case categories and related quality improvement","authors":"Carolina V. Guimaraes,&nbsp;William W. Pryor,&nbsp;Marcelo Straus Takahashi,&nbsp;Selima Siala,&nbsp;Rebecca Hansen,&nbsp;Lynn A. Fordham,&nbsp;Lane F. Donnelly","doi":"10.1067/j.cpradiol.2025.10.013","DOIUrl":"10.1067/j.cpradiol.2025.10.013","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Purpose</h3><div><strong>-</strong> To review 30-months of experience in converting from case-based peer review to peer learning in a pediatric radiology division within an academic university-based radiology department.</div></div><div><h3>Materials &amp; Methods</h3><div><strong>-</strong> Cases were identified by pediatric radiology faculty for a weekly peer learning conference. Cases were categorized as: System Issue, Great Call, Learning Opportunity, New Knowledge, Interesting Case, or Artifact / Quality Issue. Trends in the volume and types of cases reviewed were evaluated for the 30-month period (9/2022 – 2/2025). For all System Issue cases, the total number of executed improvement action plans was recorded and categorized.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div><strong>-</strong> 558 cases were submitted and reviewed for peer learning, for a rate of 18.6/month including the case types: System Issue 83 (15 %), Great Call 41 (7 %), Learning Opportunity 123 (22 %), New Knowledge 16 (3.0 %), Interesting Case 237 (42 %), and Artifact / Quality Issue 58 (10 %). Cases submission increased in each successive period: year 1 (13.3/month) year 2 (20.3/month), year 3 [6 months] (31/month). Of the 83 peer learning cases categorized as system issues, it was found that multiple cases often pointed to the same underlying problem. This allowed for the creation of 38 distinct improvement action plans, which successfully addressed 57 of the original cases. Examples of improvement plans included new imaging protocols, new standardized reports, new processes, minor equipment replacement, and other technical changes.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div><strong>-</strong> Peer Learning was quickly adopted and proved an effective means of identifying and addressing pediatric system issues, fostering collaboration, driving process improvement, and enhancing operational efficiency in an adult-oriented university-based health system.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51617,"journal":{"name":"Current Problems in Diagnostic Radiology","volume":"55 2","pages":"Pages 210-219"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145411138","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"RAD-PATH correlation in breast - Lessons learned through unusual cases and MDT discussions","authors":"Ekta Dhamija ,&nbsp;Supraja Laguduva Mohan ,&nbsp;Smriti Hari ,&nbsp;Sandeep Mathur","doi":"10.1067/j.cpradiol.2025.08.012","DOIUrl":"10.1067/j.cpradiol.2025.08.012","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Imaging and pathological evaluation are indispensable for the evaluation of breast pathologies. It is imperative to achieve clinical, radiological, and pathological concordance before initiation of any treatment regimen. Although image-guided biopsies are usually obtained from the most suspicious area of the lesion, we often encounter discordant lesions. This rad-path discordance needs to be addressed in multidisciplinary team meetings to review the clinical, imaging, and pathology findings together to ascertain the next step of evaluation. In this article, we aim to highlight a variety of such results which needed reassessment and provided us with a learning opportunity to deepen our understanding of various breast diseases.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51617,"journal":{"name":"Current Problems in Diagnostic Radiology","volume":"55 2","pages":"Pages 321-332"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144983794","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Theranostics: A primer for medical students and residents","authors":"Ibrahim A Rehman BA,&nbsp;Richard B Gunderman MD PhD","doi":"10.1067/j.cpradiol.2025.04.016","DOIUrl":"10.1067/j.cpradiol.2025.04.016","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A key component of the introduction of any medical innovation is education. Simply put, health professionals not involved in such an innovation’s development need to learn about it, and such education needs to be tailored to the needs of different learning communities, including those who will someday incorporate it into the care of their patients and those who will receive queries about it from patients and colleagues. Among such key groups are medical students<span> and residents, and one such promising innovation is theranostics, a burgeoning field whose name is a portmanteau of therapeutics and diagnostics that combines targeted therapeutics with molecular imaging to deliver individualized care. The field is sufficiently new that it is not included in the curricula of many medical schools and residency programs, yet physicians in training need a basic understanding of its current and projected future role in healthcare. This article serves as such an introduction.</span></div></div>","PeriodicalId":51617,"journal":{"name":"Current Problems in Diagnostic Radiology","volume":"55 2","pages":"Pages 226-228"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144054825","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Clinical Correlation: A Defense","authors":"Albab Uddin BS,&nbsp;Rupa Radhakrishnan M.D.,&nbsp;Richard B. Gunderman M.D., PhD","doi":"10.1067/j.cpradiol.2025.10.011","DOIUrl":"10.1067/j.cpradiol.2025.10.011","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The phrase “correlate clinically” has long been a target of satire and criticism in radiology, often dismissed as vague, defensive, or meaningless. At the same time, it reflects a deeper reality -- that imaging alone can rarely tell the whole story. This article examines the historical critique of the phrase, illustrates its pitfalls, and defends its value when reframed as part of a sound clinical discussion.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51617,"journal":{"name":"Current Problems in Diagnostic Radiology","volume":"55 2","pages":"Pages 176-177"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145411176","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}