Dear AuntMinnie Member,
Researchers studying the Zika virus in an animal model were shocked at how quickly the virus spread from an infected pregnant macaque monkey to its fetus, based on images acquired from MRI scans.
Zika's devastating impact on infants born to pregnant women infected with the virus has been well-documented. But less clear is the exact mechanism by which the virus spreads.
Researchers from the University of Washington used MRI scans to monitor a pregnant monkey infected with the virus, and they were surprised by the extent of brain anomalies in the fetus just 10 days after infection. They believe the virus traveled to the fetus through the placenta, and they noted that the fetus had higher virus levels in its brain than the mother did.
Learn more about these disturbing findings by clicking here, or visit the MRI Community at mri.auntminnie.com.
RTs and radiation protection
Are radiologic technologists (RTs) doing enough to protect themselves from radiation when performing fluoroscopically guided interventional radiology procedures?
It's a great question, and one that was addressed in a new study we're highlighting this week in our Digital X-Ray Community. Researchers from the U.S. National Cancer Institute tracked radiation protection practices followed by RTs over the decades to see how they had changed.
The upshot? RTs are doing a better job of following practices like wearing lead aprons and dose monitoring badges. But they are also performing more procedures now than in the past -- which could be increasing their exposure to radiation. Learn more by clicking here.
While you're in the community, be sure to read a new story on how weight-bearing x-ray could still be a good option to use for screening patients ages 40 and older who present with knee pain. Find out why by clicking here, or visit the community at xray.auntminnie.com.
Have you voted yet?
It's a vitally important decision that will dramatically affect our lives going forward. Yes, we're talking about the Best Radiology Image competition in the Minnies, AuntMinnie.com's annual event recognizing excellence in radiology.
If you haven't voted yet, get over to our Facebook page, or click on this link to go straight to the images. Simply click the like button on the image that you prefer. The two images with the most likes will go into a final round of voting. Happy voting!
