New guidance includes pediatric imaging, sarcopenia evaluation, and other emerging clinical needs.
The American College of Radiology (ACR) released an update to its ACR Appropriateness Criteria that includes 277 diagnostic imaging and interventional radiology topics, with more than 1,350 clinical variants covering 4,100 clinical scenarios and 223 patient-friendly summaries. The update includes eight new and eight revised topics. All topics include a narrative, evidence table, and literature search summary.
“The ACR Appropriateness Criteria continue to serve as a trusted, evidence-based resource to support clinical decision-making and optimize patient care,” said Ihab Kamel, MD, PhD, chair of the ACR Committee on Appropriateness Criteria. “This update reflects the ongoing commitment of our expert panels to ensure that guidance remains current, comprehensive, and responsive to evolving clinical needs.”
The new topics address existing gaps in clinical care and reflect an increasing focus on pediatric applications, including hydrocephalus – child and suspected abdominal neoplasms – child. Imaging of sarcopenia is also a rapidly emerging and critically important area in modern medicine, according to a release from the ACR. It is increasingly used to predict patient outcomes and to diagnose severe muscle loss, particularly in oncology and aging populations.
New Topics:
- Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease
- Breast Imaging During Lactation
- Diagnosis and Monitoring of Sarcopenia
- Hydrocephalus-Child
- Management of Chylothorax
- Nonthrombotic Iliac Vein Lesion
- Suspected Abdominal Neoplasm-Child
- Staging and Follow-up of Adrenal Cancer
Revised Topics:
- Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm or Dissection-Interventional Planning and Follow-up
- Chronic Ankle Pain
- Female Infertility
- Imaging After Shoulder Arthroplasty
- Minor Blunt Trauma
- Penetrating Trauma-Abdomen and Pelvis
- Recurrent Lower Urinary Tract Infections in Females
- Renovascular Hypertension
The guidelines are developed and reviewed annually by expert panels in diagnostic imaging and interventional radiology. Spanish translations of the ACR AC are also available from Colegio Interamericano de Radiología.
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