Evaluation of the usefulness of color digital summation radiography in temporally sequential digital radiographs: a phantom study

• Published in: Radiation medicine 2006-04, Vol.24 (3), p.182-186
• Main Authors: Ogata, Yuji, Naito, Hiroaki, Tomiyama, Noriyuki, Hamada, Seiki, Kozuka, Takenori, Koyama, Mitsuhiro, Tsubamoto, Mitusko, Murai, Sachiko, Ueguchi, Takashi, Matsumoto, Mitsuhiro, Tamura, Shinichi, Nakamura, Hironobu, Johkoh, Takeshi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Color; Lung Neoplasms - diagnostic imaging; Observer Variation; Phantoms, Imaging; Radiographic Image Enhancement - methods; Radiography, Thoracic - methods; Random Allocation; Solitary Pulmonary Nodule - diagnostic imaging
• ISSN: 0288-2043; 1862-5274
• DOI: 10.1007/s11604-005-1487-3

The purpose of this study was to assess the usefulness of color digital summation radiography (CDSR) for detection of nodules on chest radiographs by observers with different levels of experience. A total of 30 radiographs of chest phantoms with abnormalities and 30 normal ones were arranged at random. Set A was conventional radiographs only. Set B consisted of both conventional radiographs and CDSR images, which were colored with magenta. Five chest radiologists and five residents evaluated both image sets on a TFT monitor. The observers were asked to rate each image set using a continuous rating scale. The reading time for each set was also recorded. In set A, the performance of chest radiologists was significantly superior to that of the residents (P < 0.05). However, in set B, there was no significant difference in the performance of the chest radiologists and the residents. In both observer groups, the mean reading time per case in set B was significantly shorter than that in set A (P < 0.01). By using CDSR, the detection capability of observers with little experience improves and is comparable to that of experienced observers. Moreover, the reading time becomes much shorter using CDSR.