Combined Use of MRI and Ultrasound Boosts Market Growth

When combined, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasound imaging becomes more effective, and this trend is among the many factors mentioned by a new market research report for the growth in sales of both modalities.

In healthcare market research publisher Kalorama Information’s (New York, NY, USA) recent report, the firm noted that worldwide revenues for MRI and ultrasound systems grew at 6% and 4%, respectively, between 2010 and 2011.

One example of combination usage is in rotator cuff tears. Whereas ultrasound is typically seen as more cost effective, MRI is most frequently used to assess the rotator cuff. When performing a cost utility analysis, utilizing ultrasound as the first medical imaging test for a rotator cuff tear, in addition to a preoperative MRI to identify alternative and concurrent diagnoses, can be a very effective hybrid imaging approach.

“Ultrasound is a cheaper imaging modality, yet MRI can provide more depth,” said Joe Constance, Kalorama’s imaging analyst and the author of the report. “So it’s not a surprise to see ultrasound recommended for the initial medical imaging test and an MRI as a secondary test to find any alternate diagnosis and give the surgeon the needed anatomy.”

Another field where a combination of modalities is used, according to Kalorama, is in breast cancer. A second-look ultrasound of the breast, used in conjunction with MRI, allows radiologists to identify lesions not detected with conventional mammography and first-look ultrasound; in some cases, it allows radiologists to determine whether or not a lesion is malignant or benign. This was underscored in a study performed at the University of Rome La Sapienza (Rome, Italy), which included 182 patients who had mammography, ultrasound, and MRI. It has become accepted among some radiologists.

New research may find new combination uses. An experimental procedure developed by scientists at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA; USA) fuses MRI with real-time three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound to obtain biopsy specimens from suspicious areas in the prostate. Patients first received MRI scans of the prostate that evaluated three components in detecting cancer: suspicious contrasts in tissue, abnormal cellular density, and unusual blood flow within the prostate.

Kalorama Information, a division of MarketResearch.com, supplies independent medical market research in diagnostics, biotech, pharmaceuticals, medical devices and healthcare, as well as custom research services.

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