- Jul 16, 2001
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Increasingly, hospitals are confronted with how to obtain accurate diagnoses for obese patients. Some individuals tipping the scales at 350 pounds or more are simply too large to fit into X-ray machines, according to new research conducted at at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and published in the journal Radiology.
Even if hospital workers manage to scan these obese patients, interpreting results can be problematic when fat tissue is very dense. Certain procedures are unsatisfactory because ultrasound waves do not penetrate all of the body fat.
Small tumors and other problems might be overlooked due to poor image quality, said Raul N. Uppot, MD, lead author of the study and staff radiologist at MGH.
Incomplete examinations can lead to serious consequences for the patient, such as misdiagnosis or failure to make a diagnosis at all.
Increasingly, hospitals are confronted with how to obtain accurate diagnoses for obese patients. Some individuals tipping the scales at 350 pounds or more are simply too large to fit into X-ray machines, according to new research conducted at at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and published in the journal Radiology.
Even if hospital workers manage to scan these obese patients, interpreting results can be problematic when fat tissue is very dense. Certain procedures are unsatisfactory because ultrasound waves do not penetrate all of the body fat.
Small tumors and other problems might be overlooked due to poor image quality, said Raul N. Uppot, MD, lead author of the study and staff radiologist at MGH.
Incomplete examinations can lead to serious consequences for the patient, such as misdiagnosis or failure to make a diagnosis at all.
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