Detection of heart calcification with electron beam CT: interobserver and intraobserver reliability for scoring quantification.
OBJECTIVE
To assess interobserver and intraobserver reliability of three quantitative measures of coronary artery calcium burden: calcium "score," number of calcified lesions, and calcified area.


METHODS
Electron beam computed tomographic (CT) scanning was used in a series of 25 patients to detect coronary artery calcification. Scan results were reviewed for quality by a radiologist, then scored by two radiologic technologists and by another radiologist.


RESULTS
Many interobserver and intraobserver disagreements were noted on a lesion-by-lesion basis. Since most disagreements involved very small lesions, however, their impact was negligible for all three measures of calcium burden.


CONCLUSIONS
It is not useful for more than one observer to independently score a single CT examination obtained to detect cardiac calcification, even when the arteries are heavily calcified.
Kaufmann
R B
RB
Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
Sheedy
P F
PF
Breen
J F
JF
Kelzenberg
J R
JR
Kruger
B L
BL
Schwartz
R S
RS
Moll
P P
PP
D000328:Adult; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed