Radiology must change to retain ultrasound role

Diagnostic ultrasound is fading as a primary imaging modality in U.S. radiology departments. It is gradually being supplanted by CT, MR, and PET, which have seen major advances in speed and quality in the past decade. Multislice CT acquisitions allow whole-body scanning in minutes. Higher field MR scanners with more advanced pulse sequences and better coils have not only speeded up MR imaging but have vastly improved its ability to image blood vessels and blood flow without contrast toxicity and radiation exposure. PET/CT's ability to image metabolically active tissues at high spatial resolution has made it the modality of choice for cancer evaluation.