American College of Radiology Releases New and Updated ACR Appropriateness Criteria

The American College of Radiology® (ACR®) released an update to its ACR Appropriateness Criteria® (ACR AC), which includes 223 diagnostic imaging and interventional radiology topics with more than 1,060 clinical variants covering 3,000 clinical scenarios. This update includes 1 new and seven revised topics. All topics include a narrative, evidence table and a literature search summary.

The new topic is:

• Thoracoabdominal Aneurysm or Dissection: Treatment Planning and Follow-Up


Revised topics include:

• Chronic Extremity Joint Pain-Suspected Inflammatory Arthritis, Crystalline Arthritis, or Erosive Osteoarthritis
• Headache
• Palpable Breast Masses
• Pretreatment Detection, Surveillance, and Staging of Prostate Cancer
• Routine Chest Imaging
• Soft Tissue Masses
• Staging of Renal Cell Carcinoma

The ACR AC was first introduced in 1993 by expert panels in diagnostic imaging and interventional radiology to help providers make the most appropriate imaging or treatment decisions for specific clinical conditions. These guidelines are developed and reviewed annually.

Referring physicians and other providers may consult the ACR AC to fulfill requirements mandated by the Protecting Access to Medicare Act, which requires that they consult appropriate use criteria prior to ordering advanced diagnostic imaging for Medicare patients. The ACR is designated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services as a qualified Provider-Led Entity.

For more information about ACR AC, visit the ACR website.