All articles tagged with #ct scans
A large-scale study reveals that US emergency departments increasingly rely on CT scans to diagnose kidney stones, with usage rising from 73.8% to 89.8% between 2016 and 2024. Conversely, ultrasound use declined from 5.8% to 3.8%. Hospital admissions for nephrolithiasis also increased, shifting from 8.9% to 12.7% over the same period.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University found that lower bone density in the spine is associated with faster cognitive decline and deterioration of brain white matter. The study suggests that routine chest CT scans, often used for lung cancer screening, could serve as an opportunistic tool to identify individuals at higher risk for accelerated brain aging. While low bone density does not cause cognitive issues, it may act as a marker for shared biological aging processes, such as inflammation and vascular problems, potentially allowing for earlier intervention.
Researchers behind the Vesuvius Challenge validated a screening method by creating model Herculaneum papyri with varying lead-based inks, carbonizing them to mimic the originals, then using CT/X-ray imaging and AI to identify strong lead-ink signatures. A handheld XRF scanner can quickly flag the most promising scrolls for deeper analysis, potentially accelerating decipherment of the ancient texts.
With only three preserved dodo skulls, researchers CT-scanned them and compared brain structures to pigeons, finding the dodo’s forebrain size isn’t disproportionately small for its body, challenging the view of the dodo as unintelligent; the study also hints at nocturnal traits via optic lobes, but stresses these remain speculative since no dodo brains exist to study directly.
A new study in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences used CT and X-ray scans to analyze a rare red crystal from the Trinity test’s trinitite and found a previously unseen clathrate that traps atoms in its lattice—a material never observed in nature or in nuclear debris—highlighting the extreme chemistry produced by nuclear weapons, with the reminder that collecting such material is illegal.
An AI model developed at Mayo Clinic detected abnormalities on CT scans up to three years before a pancreatic cancer diagnosis, outperforming radiologists by about threefold; the approach could guide early screening for high‑risk individuals, but it’s still in clinical trials and not yet public, as researchers pursue earlier detection alongside other advances in pancreatic cancer treatment.
New AI-driven analysis of CT scans shows that adults with a healthier thymus are linked to longer life, lower risk of cardiovascular disease, and reduced lung cancer risk; a separate cancer-immunotherapy study found better thymic health predicted better treatment response and longer survival. Lifestyle factors like smoking and higher body weight correlate with poorer thymic health. While promising, the approach isn’t ready for routine clinical use and more research is needed to translate findings into prevention or treatment strategies.
A Martian meteorite nicknamed Black Beauty (NWA 7034), among Earth’s oldest Martian samples, was scanned noninvasively with CT imaging, revealing hydrogen-rich iron oxyhydroxide clasts that comprise about 0.4% of the rock but up to 11% of its water content. The minerals point to past liquid water on early Mars and resemble hydrated phases seen in Perseverance samples, offering new insight into Mars’ ancient environment as NASA’s Mars Sample Return timeline faces delays.
High‑resolution CT scans of four high‑altitude Inca mummies, including the Lady of Ampato, uncover blunt‑force head injuries and, in one case, postmortem organ removal, suggesting the capacocha sacrifices involved deliberate preparation and violence beyond traditional accounts that depicted them as flawless offerings to the gods.
A 290-million-year-old fossilized vomit from Germany’s Bromacker site, the oldest known terrestrial regurgitalite, contains 41 bones from three reptile species. CT scans digitally separated the bones, confirming they came from three distinct species and revealing that early predators like Dimetrodon teutonis and Tambacarnifex unguifalcatus had varied, opportunistic diets in a late Paleozoic ecosystem.
Researchers used AI to identify a new biomarker of chronic stress visible on standard CT scans by measuring adrenal gland size, which correlates with stress levels and predicts cardiovascular risk, offering a practical tool for assessing long-term stress effects in clinical settings.
A large Canadian study suggests that preconception CT scans may slightly increase the risk of pregnancy loss and birth defects, but the overall risk increase is small and may be influenced by underlying health conditions; the benefits of necessary scans generally outweigh the risks.
A recent study predicts that the increased use of CT scans in the US could lead to approximately 103,000 future cancer cases due to low-dose radiation exposure, highlighting a potential public health concern while emphasizing the importance of balancing diagnostic benefits against long-term risks.
New research warns that overuse of CT scans in the US could cause over 103,000 new cancer cases in the future, highlighting concerns about unnecessary scans driven by reassurance-seeking and routine use, especially in children and healthy individuals. Experts emphasize the importance of limiting low-value scans, reducing radiation doses, and following strict guidelines to minimize risks while ensuring necessary diagnostics.
Researchers in Catalonia have used CT scans to study the internal structure of giant hailstones from a 2022 storm, revealing new insights into their growth and formation. This non-destructive method showed that hailstones can have irregular internal structures despite appearing spherical externally, and that their cores are often off-center. These findings challenge previous assumptions and could improve future storm predictions, although the technique is costly and some anomalies remain unexplained.