Semi-automated scoring of pulmonary emphysema from X-ray CT: Trainee reproducibility and accuracy
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
11-1-2013
Journal
European Journal of Radiology
Volume
82
Issue
11
First Page
734
Last Page
741
URL with Digital Object Identifier
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejrad.2013.07.013
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: We developed a semi-automated tool to quantify emphysema from thoracic X-ray multi-detector (64-slice) computed tomography (CT) for training purposes and multi-reader studies.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thoracic X-ray CT was acquired in 93 ex-smokers, who were evaluated by six trainees with little or no expertise (trainees) and a single experienced thoracic radiologist (expert). A graphic user interface (GUI) was developed for emphysema quantification based on the percentile of lung where a score of 0=no abnormalities, 1=1-25%, 2=26-50%, 3=51-75% and 4=76-100% for each lung side/slice. Trainees blinded to subject characteristics scored randomized images twice; accuracy was determined by comparison to expert scores, density histogram 15th percentile (HU 15), relative area at -950 HU (RA(950)), low attenuation clusters at -950 HU (LAC(950)), -856 HU (LAC(856)) and the diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (DL(CO%pred)). Intra- and inter-observer reproducibility was evaluated using coefficients-of-variation (COV), intra-class (ICC) and Pearson correlations.
RESULTS: Trainee-expert correlations were significant (r=0.85-0.97, p
CONCLUSION: We developed a GUI for rapid and interactive emphysema scoring that allows for comparison of multiple readers with clinical and radiological standards.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Notes
This is an author accepted manuscript of an article initially published by Elsevier in the European Journal of Radiology. The final published version is available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejrad.2013.07.013