Patient obesity can cause imaging results to lead to misdiagnosis or no diagnosis

Radiologists are pointing out that it is difficult to accurately assess an obese patient's condition using imaging. The increasing rates of obesity mean that more and more people are unable to benefit from diagnosis using imaging. In 1989 0.1% of patients had limited quality of radiology reports due to obesity and this rose to 0.19% in 2003. Abdominal ultrasounds were the most limited by obesity (1.5%), followed by chest x-rays (0.08%) and abdominal computed tomography - CT scan - (0-.04%). Ultrasounds and x-rays both have difficulty penetrating lots of tissue in obese people. CT and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are limited by the total weight and size the equipment can actually hold. Patients up to 450 pounds can receive an accurate CT scan and an MRI can be done on patients up to 350 pounds.

Source: summary of medical news story as reported by Radiological Society of North America

Related Disease Topics:

• Obesity
• Overweight

Article Source Details

About: Patient obesity can cause imaging results to lead to misdiagnosis or no diagnosis

Date: 1 December 2004

Source: Radiological Society of North America

URL: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2004-12/rson-ohi112404.php

Related Medical Topics

This summary article refers to the following medical categories:

• CT scan
• MRI
• Chest x-ray
• Abdominal ultrasound
• Ultrasound
• Magnetic resonance imaging
• Imaging
• Radiological report
• Misdiagnosis (type of Medical misadventure)
• Misdiagnosis of obesity
• Misdiagnosis of overweight
• Undiagnosed and obesity
• Undiagnosed and overweight
• Diagnosis
• Diagnosis of CT scan
• Diagnosis of MRI
• Diagnosis of chest x-ray
• Diagnosis of abdominal ultrasound
• Diagnosis of ultrasound
• Diagnosis of magnetic resonance imaging
• Diagnosis of imaging
• Diagnosis of radiological report

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