Efficiency and reporting confidence analysis of sequential dual-energy subtraction for thoracic x-ray examinations


Gezer M. C., ALGIN O., Durmaz A., ARSLAN H.

Qatar Medical Journal, cilt.2019, sa.1, 2019 (Scopus) identifier identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 2019 Sayı: 1
  • Basım Tarihi: 2019
  • Doi Numarası: 10.5339/qmj.2019.9
  • Dergi Adı: Qatar Medical Journal
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Scopus
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: Chest radiography, Computed tomography, Direct digital radiography, Dose, Dual-energy subtraction, Thorax
  • Ankara Üniversitesi Adresli: Hayır

Özet

Rationale and objectives: We aimed to report and compare accuracy, reproducibility, and reporting confidence between thoracic dual-energy subtraction (DES) and routine posterior–anterior chest radiography (PA-CR) techniques. Materials (patients) and methods: We obtained DES (D1–D4) images from 96 patients using DES and a high-resolution dynamic flat-panel detector in combination. We compared the DES images of these patients with their PA-CR images. The maximum time interval between performing DES and PA-CR was nine weeks. Two radiologists evaluated abnormal findings on DES and PA-CR images using a three-point scale, and reporting confidence was scored using a four-point scale. The intra- and interobserver agreement values of the scores were analyzed. Further, the radiation exposure doses during PA-CR and DES acquisitions were calculated. Results: The intra- and interobserver agreement values of PA-CR and DES images were good. The reporting confidence scores for DES were generally higher than those for PA-CR. Between bone-subtracted (D3) and soft-tissue-subtracted (D4) images, the former was more successful and useful in the evaluation of bone structures, whereas the latter was better in the evaluation of consolidation and/or solitary nodules. Conclusions: DES has the potential to improve the accuracy, reproducibility, and reporting confidence of thoracic radiography. It also has the potential to provide a better diagnosis of chest pathologies using relatively low dose radiation.