Department of Radiology

Breast Imaging

The Breast Imaging and Diagnostic Center offers a comprehensive evaluation of breast diseases and symptoms. State-of-the-art facilities include mammography, breast ultrasound, galactography, magnetic resonance imaging, and percutaneous biopsy techniques including stereotactic and ultrasound guidance. The University of Iowa Health Care mammography center is fully accredited by the Iowa State Department of Public Health and the American College of Radiology.

Laurie L. Fajardo, MD
Thomas J. Barloon, MD
Michael Vannier, MD
D. Lee Bennett, MD

Body Imaging

Computed Tomography

High-resolution spiral computed tomography is offered for diagnostic studies of all parts of the body including chest, abdomen, and pelvis. Special applications in the abdomen include evaluation of patients for liver metastases, and pancreatic and renal tumors. In addition, CT scanning is used at UI Hospitals and Clinics to guide biopsies of intra-abdominal organs as well as abscess drainages. Volumetric rendering of three-dimensional data sets such as computed angiography of renal and liver vessels is also available.

Gastrointestinal Radiology

A full range of gastrointestinal fluoroscopic procedures is offered including double contrast upper and lower gastrointestinal radiography with special studies including enteroclysis videofluoroscopy of cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and defecography.

Genitourinary Radiology

A full range of genitourinary radiologic techniques is offered including intravenous urograms, voiding cystourethrograms, and hysterosalpingography, which is performed in conjunction with the obstetricians.

Bruce P. Brown, MD
Monzer M. Abu-Yousef, MD
Thomas J. Barloon, MD
Rommel Dhadha, MD
Alan Stolpen, MD
Kosei Ishigami, MD
David M. Kuehn, MD

Chest and Cardiovascular Radiology

The Chest Section of the Department of Radiology deals with all aspects of chest imaging plus all CT and MR cardiovascular imaging. Responsibilities include plain film and digital chest radiography of inpatients and outpatients as well as imaging of the surgical, cardiac, and medical intensive care units. Additionally, as the online reading center, the section provides coverage for all aspects of outpatient plain film imaging. Facilities include three state-of-the-art spiral CT scanners with CT fluoroscopy (real-time imaging) plus an Electron Beam CT scanner (Imatron). All scanners are linked through a Cemax workstation network allowing reformatting of the CT data in any plane desired. Two conventional 1.5T MRI scanners are used for cardiovascular and thoracic evaluations. A 1.5T dedicated cardiovascular MRI scanner has recently been acquired which is designed and optimized for real-time imaging of the heart and lungs including coronary artery calcium screening. The section performs all thoracic interventional procedures including biopsies, drainages, and needle localization of nodules for thorascopic resections.

Brad H. Thompson, MD, Director
William Stanford, MD
Brian F. Mullan, MD

Interventional Radiology

Interventional Radiology is a specialty in which radiologists diagnose and treat disease non-operatively. The interventional radiologist uses catheters, guidewires, needles, balloons, stents, and other devices with radiological imaging to perform procedures that are often alternatives to surgery. These procedures, which may be categorized as vascular (angiography) and non-vascular (e.g., decompression and drainage of obstructed kidneys and bile ducts), are performed in an interventional radiology suite and are often done on an outpatient basis. Many procedures that were previously performed surgically are now accomplished by an interventional radiologist with less morbidity and a shorter hospital stay. These procedures include thrombolysis, balloon angioplasty and stenting, central venous access, and percutaneous feeding tube placement.

Interventional radiology is constantly evolving as new techniques and technologies are developed and applied to enhance patient care. Because of the invasive nature of many of the procedures performed, interventional radiologists tend to be more involved in patient care. Patients undergoing procedures are routinely worked up by the interventional radiology service and are subsequently followed up post-procedure. This "all inclusive" type of clinical service underlines that there is more to interventional radiology than simply doing procedures.

Jafar Golzarian, MD, Director
Francisco J. Osse, MD
Melhem J. Sharafuddin, MD
Shiliang Sun, MD
Patricia E. Thorpe, MD