(LOCM) Low-osmolar contrast media have a wide range of indications due to their lower side effects. The type of contrast media is an important risk factor for an adverse reaction.
LOCM have not completely replaced contrast media with higher osmolality due to their higher cost. Guidelines of professional organizations give recommendations for the selective use of low-osmolar contrast media for certain high-risk patients.
There are ionic and nonionic iodinated contrast materials with low osmolality available:
An adverse reaction occurs in low-risk patients who receive conventional ionic contrast agents more often than in high-risk patients who receive nonionic LOCM.

See also Contrast Enhancement, Biliary Contrast Agents, Safety of Contrast Agents and Contrast-Induced Nephropathy.

Mallinckrodt, a Tyco Healthcare company makes and distributes products for respiratory care; bulk and dosage pharmaceuticals, primarily for pain relief and addiction therapy; and imaging agents for magnetic resonance, ultrasound, x-ray, and nuclear medicine applications. With worldwide manufacturing and distribution facilities, as well as worldwide sales offices, Mallinckrodt sells its products worldwide.

In June 2007 Tyco International Ltd. completed the separation of its healthcare business, which is named Covidien. Mallinckrodt, Inc. is now part of Covidien Ltd.

Mammography is a diagnostic imaging procedure of the breast to detect and evaluate breast disease. Mammography is widely used as a screening method and plays a key role in early breast cancer detection.
The screening mammography is used to detect breast changes in women who have no signs or symptoms or noticed breast abnormalities. The goal is to detect a breast tumor before any clinical signs are observable.
A diagnostic mammography is used to investigate suspicious breast changes, such as a breast lump, an unusual skin appearance, breast pain, nipple thickening or nipple discharge.
A breast screening or standard mammography requires two mammograms from different angles of each breast including craniocaudal view and mediolateral view. Additional images can be made from other angles or focus on microcalcifications or other suspicious areas.
A mammogram is created by special mammography equipment with long wavelength of the used x-rays. Film-screen mammography is still the most widely used technology, but the state of the art technique is digital mammography. Conventional x-ray equipment was used to produce mammograms until dedicated mammography equipment became available in the late 1960s. Film-screen mammography and xeromammography, introduced in the early 1970s, used lower radiation doses and produced sharper mammograms. The second generation of mammography systems has been introduced in the early 1980s. Chief disadvantages of analog mammography include the labor-intensive handling of the cassettes, relatively slow processing time, the lack of a direct interface to the x-ray system, and no post processing possibilities.
Mammograms of high quality should be done with the lowest radiation dose as possible. Adequate breast compression is important due to shortening of the exposure times, immobilization of the breast, reduction of motion and blurring and prevention of overpenetration by means of equalizing breast thickness.
Further breast imaging procedures include breast ultrasound and breast MRI.

(MIP) CT Angiography images can be processed by maximum intensity projection to interactively viewing volumes of data, where the CT number of each pixel is given by the minimum CT number through the volume. The MIP connects the high intensity dots of the blood vessels in three dimensions, providing an angiogram that can be viewed from any projection. Each point in the MIP represents the highest intensity experienced in that location on any partition within the imaging volume. For complete interpretation the base slices should also be reviewed individually and with multiplanar reconstruction (MPR) software. The MIP can then be displayed in a Cine format or filmed as multiple images acquired from different projections.

A myelography is a radiographic imaging procedure to visualize the spinal canal, the spinal cord, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), intervertebral disks and nerve roots. A special contrast agent (dye) is injected through a needle into the subarachnoid space of the spinal canal. A myelogram provides a very detailed picture of the spinal cord and spinal column. A fluoroscopy displays the bones and the fluid-filled space of the spine also in motion. An additional computerized tomography (CT or CAT) scan helps to differentiate the spinal conditions better. The indications include disc herniation, spinal stenosis, tumor, and vertebral fracture.

See also Myeloscintigraphy, Fluoroscopic System, Hounsfield Unit, Bone Densitometry, Nonionic Contrast Agents.