"Opportunistic screening" — defined as when radiologists use a patient's existing medical images for diagnoses beyond what the imaging was originally ordered for — may be the next big trend in radiology.
Researchers from New York City-based NYU Langone Health have released two studies evaluating the accuracy and effectiveness of opportunistic screening for cardiovascular risk and osteoporosis, according to a Dec. 4 news release from the health system.
Here are five notes from those studies:
- In a study presented Dec. 4 at the Radiological Society of North America's annual meeting, researchers analyzed 3,662 abdominal CT scans taken between 2013 and 2023 for calcification in patients' coronary arteries.
- Using an AI-enabled measurement to quantify and score aortic calcification levels, researchers were able to accurately predict patients' risk of a future cardiovascular event.
- The study authors said their findings suggest abdominal scans could be used to predict cardiovascular events, as opposed to designated coronary artery scans, which may not be covered by insurance.
- A similar study published earlier this year in Bone highlighted the use of CT scans performed for lung cancer screening to diagnose osteoporosis.
- NYU Langone researchers performed a secondary analysis of 3,708 CT scans for the study and identified signs of bone loss across all races, incomes and sex. The study authors said the findings demonstrate this form of opportunistic screening could be used to diagnose osteoporosis in older adults and smokers.