Press releases have been sent to the medical news media for the following articles appearing in the February issue of Radiology (RSNA.org/radiology):

Lung nodules: CT-guided Placement of Microcoils to Direct Video-assisted Thoracoscopic Surgical Resection

Pathologic specimen resected parallel to the microcoil shows the microcoil (arrowhead) coiled on the pleural surface (P) and extending through the semisolid nodule (arrows). Note the absence of parenchymal hemorrhage in the specimen due to the thrombogenic fuzz on the microcoil.

Adding a new microcoil localization technique to fluoroscopically guided video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) to excise small lung nodules can increase the surgery's success rate from 54 to 97 percent.

In a study of 69 patients with 75 small peripheral lung nodules, John R. Mayo, M.D., and colleagues at the University of British Columbia used CT guidance to place fiber-coated microcoils with one end adjacent to the suspicious nodule and the other end coiled in the pleural space. VATS excision of lung tissue, lesion and microcoil was performed under fluoroscopic guidance.

Seventy-three of 75 nodules were removed using fluoroscopically guided VATS. The study showed minimal pain and a low (3 percent) rate of intervention for procedural complications.

Although the lesion was directly punctured in 79 percent of the cases, the technique did not impair the pathologic processing or interpretation of the specimen and no local recurrences of cancer have been documented.

"Use of this technique may help to address the diagnostic dilemma provided by the increasing number of small peripheral lung nodules that are detected incidentally or found to grow on serial chest CT examinations," the researchers concluded.

Intermittent Claudication: Clinical Effectiveness of Endovascular Revascularization Versus Supervised Hospital-Based Training—Randomized Controlled Trial

Flow diagram of study (according to Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials statement) shows reasons for exclusion, random assignment to endovascular revascularization or supervised hospital-based exercise training, and treatment actually received, including 6- and 12-month follow-up. CVA = cerebrovascular accident.

Patients with intermittent claudication benefit equally from endovascular revascularization or supervised exercise after 6- and 12-month periods, although the benefit is more immediate following revascularization.

During a 3-year period, Sandra Spronk, Ph.D., of Ikazia Hospital in the Netherlands, and colleagues randomly assigned 151 consecutive patients with symptoms of intermittent claudication to receive either endovascular revascularization or hospital-based, supervised exercise. Outcomes were measured by clinical success, functional capacity and quality of life.

After revascularization, the clinical success rate was 75 percent at six months and 68 percent at 12 months. After exercising, the clinical success rate was 77 percent at six months and 65 percent at 12 months. After both treatments, functional capacity and quality-of-life scores increased after six and 12 months, but there was no significant difference between the two groups.

The study emphasizes that all patients with symptoms of intermittent claudification begin treatment with an exercise program and that invasive procedures should be considered only if there is no improvement, according to the researchers.

Changes in Regional Airflow Obstruction over Time in Lungs of Patients with Asthma: Evaluation with 3He MR Imaging

Focal airflow impediment within the lungs of asthma patients can persist over time despite treatment and severity of disease, according to results of an MR imaging study using hyperpolarized helium-3 (3He).

Persistence of ventilation defects at same-day assessments.

(a) Baseline axial breath-hold MR image of lung obtained after inhalation of 1 L of 3He–nitrogen gas mixture shows two defects (arrows) in the left lung and one (arrow) in the right lung. (b) Image at same anatomic level obtained 57 minutes later with the same parameters as a shows the three defects (straight arrows) again, with no change in location or size. A small new defect (curved arrow) has developed in the right lung.

Eduard E. de Lange, M.D., of the University of Virginia Health Sciences Center, and colleagues examined 43 patients who underwent a total of 104 scans—26 scanned twice the same day and 17 scanned on three instances within one to 476 days.

For patients scanned twice the same day, 75 percent of defects remained in the same location and 71 percent of those defects remained unchanged in size. In patients scanned on multiple days, 67 percent of defects persisted between the first and second scans and 43 percent persisted between the second and third scans. More than a third of defects remained in the same location after six months and more than 50 percent of those defects did not change in size. Trends were the same regardless of disease severity.

"The persistence of relatively large numbers of defects over time has implications for understanding the nature of focal airway obstruction in patients with asthma," the researchers concluded.

Media Coverage of Radiology

In December, media outlets carried 117 news stories generated by articles appearing in Radiology. These stories reached an estimated 66 million people.

A news release promoted findings from a study on trabecular structure in adolescents with anorexia nervosa (Radiology 2008;249:938-946).

Broadcast coverage included Medical Breakthroughs (syndicated), WCAU-TV (Philadelphia), KPRC-TV (Houston), WMTV-TV (Madison, Wis.), KSL-TV (Salt Lake City), WNWO-TV (Toledo, Ohio), WCNC-TV (Charlotte, N.C.), KSHB-TV (Kansas City, Mo.), KGW-TV (Portland, Ore.), KQCA-TV (Sacramento, Calif.), KOMU-TV (Columbia, Mo.), WSTM-TV (Syracuse, N.Y.), WCBD-TV (Charleston, S.C.), WHO-TV (Des Moines), KJRH-TV (Tulsa, Okla.), WPTA-TV (Fort Wayne, Ind.) and WSLS-TV (Roanoke, Va.)

Print and wire coverage included General Practitioner, HealthScout News and Asian News International.

Web placements included, Yahoo! News, USNews.com, docguide.com, healthcentral.com, forbes.com and washingtonpost.com.

February Public Information Activities Focus on Heart and Vascular Health

In February, RSNA will distribute the "60-Second Checkup" audio program to nearly 100 radio stations across the U.S. Segments will focus on diagnosis of and minimally invasive treatments for peripheral artery disease and the use of CT to diagnose cardiac disease.