title: Chronic infiltrative lung disease: comparison of diagnostic accuracies of radiography and low- and conventional-dose thin-section CT.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the accuracy of low-dose thin-section computed tomography (CT), chest radiography, and conventional-dose thin-section CT in diagnosis of chronic infiltrative lung disease (CILD).
  
  
  METHODS
  Chest radiographs and low-dose (80-mAs) and conventional-dose (340-mAs) thin-section (1.5-mm) CT scans from 50 patients with CILD and 10 healthy control subjects were randomized and analyzed retrospectively. For CT, three images were obtained: at the aortic arch, at the tracheal carina, and 1 cm above the right hemidiaphragm. Two independent observers listed three likely diagnoses and recorded the degree of confidence in their first choice.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A correct first-choice diagnosis was made more often with either CT technique than with radiography (P < .02). A high confidence level in the diagnosis was reached in 42% of radiographic, 61% of low-dose CT, and 63% of conventional-dose CT interpretations, which were correct in 92%, 90%, and 96% of the studies, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The superior diagnostic accuracy of low-dose thin-section CT was achieved without an increase in effective radiation dose.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of British Columbia; Vancouver General Hospital, Canada.
authors.forename: K S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Primack
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Staples
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Mayo
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Aldrich
authors.forename: N L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Müller
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods