American Radiology Services to offer New Alzheimer's Disease Imaging Technique

BALTIMORE, Aug. 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- American Radiology Services (ARS), a division of RadNet, Inc., a national market leader providing high-quality, cost-effective diagnostic imaging services through a network of 237 fully-owned and operated outpatient imaging centers, announced it will offer Amyvid™, a radioactive tracer used in positron emission tomography–computed tomography (PET/CT) imaging. Amyvid is the first test that can effectively rule out Alzheimer's disease (AD) in patients who are being evaluated for cognitive impairment.

Every patient with AD has increased levels of beta-amyloid plaque deposits in the brain at autopsy. Amyvid binds to beta-amyloid plaque and allows a PET/CT image to detect their presence. A positive Amyvid scan indicates moderate to frequent beta-amyloid plaques are present.

"While an increased amount of beta-amyloid plaque can be found in patients with other types of neurologic conditions and in older patients with normal cognition, it has a high correlation with a diagnosis of AD," said Dr. Mayur Patel, an ARS board certified radiologist and nuclear medicine physician. "An Amyvid scan enhances our ability to diagnosis patients with cognitive decline and help families better plan for their loved one's future health needs."

"A negative Amyvid scan provides persuasive evidence AD is not the cause for a patient's observed cognitive decline," said ARS President Stuart Rabinowitz, M.D., Ph.D., board certified radiologist and nuclear medicine physician. "This will allow physicians to identify and treat patients for other causes of cognitive impairment if they have a negative Amyvid scan. Our patients have a unique opportunity to benefit from the latest technological development in PET/CT imaging."

More than 20 percent of AD cases are currently misdiagnosed. Between 2000 and 2008, the U.S. saw a 66 percent rise in deaths caused by AD, now the country's sixth leading cause of death.

About American Radiology Services

American Radiology Services (ARS) is a Maryland-based provider of medical imaging services, offering physicians and patients the highest quality technology, service, and expertise. Founded in 1997, ARS specializes in a wide array of diagnostic imaging technologies, including digital mammography, PET/CT, CT, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Nuclear Medicine, Dual Energy X-ray Absorption (DEXA), Ultrasound, Fluoroscopy and X-ray. Affiliated with world-renowned physicians and many of the area's leading hospitals and medical practices, ARS operates multiple imaging centers throughout Maryland. 

SOURCE American Radiology Services