Image-guided biopsy has a moderate yield for the diagnosis of infectious discitis, which is significantly lower than the yield of open surgical biopsy. This yield is not significantly affected by prior antibiotic use.

Visceral interventional radiology catheters can be difficult to exchange or remove for a variety of reasons. These reasons include exit of the guide wire through the side holes of the catheter, blockage of the catheter, difficulty unlocking the pigtail, retention of the string after catheter removal, migration of the string ahead of the guide wire, catheter fracture, and snaring of an adjacent stent by the pigtail. Secure fixation of the catheter to the skin is important. A technique that allows secure fixation without direct puncture and suturing of the catheter to the skin is recommended. If a catheter falls out or is inadvertently removed, access can occasionally be regained and the catheter can be replaced without repuncture. The timing of catheter removal is based on the clinical condition of the patient and the daily output from the catheter. "Tractography" is a useful study before removal of any catheter that requires a mature tract for removal, particularly cholecystostomy catheters and transpleural catheters. In biliary catheter exchange, the most vital issue is the position of the side holes of the catheter. If an abscess cavity remains large after catheter drainage, the catheter can be repositioned or a second catheter can be placed.

The evaluation of oncology patients represents a substantial volume of the workload in many radiology departments. Interpreting the results of oncologic examinations is often challenging and time-consuming because many abnormalities are identified in the same examination and must be compared with the findings in previous studies. However, errors in the interpretation of oncologic computed tomographic (CT) scans can have significant effects on patient care. These effects may range from withdrawal from a clinical trial or cessation of therapy to repeat CT examination because of a technically inadequate study, CT-guided biopsy of newly identified lesions, or initiation of therapy for previously unrecognized lesions. A root cause analysis of reported errors in the interpretation of abdominal and pelvic CT scans led to the identification of potential pitfalls that may be encountered when interpreting oncologic CT scans and factors that contribute to these errors. Awareness of the spectrum of factors that contribute to misinterpretation of CT scans in oncology patients may improve the performance of the individual radiologist and ultimately translate into improved patient care.