[Visual evaluation of liver function with 99mTc-GSA scintigraphy: interobserver variation and intraobserver variation].
We introduced a new imaging grade to evaluate liver function with 99mTc-GSA and studied its diagnostic value using interobserver variation and intraobserver variation. One hundred four patients with liver disease were injected 185 MBq/3 mg of 99mTc-GSA. Anterior images of cardiac blood-pool and liver at 5 min after injection were divided into four grades on the basis of following four categories. Faint cardiac blood-pool image, without clear demonstration of its peripheral boundary was classed in grade I; weaker cardiac blood-pool than liver was grade II; almost same appearance of blood-pool with liver was grade III and stronger blood-pool than liver was grade IV. Three radiologists reviewed the images independently. They followed the same process three months after initial evaluation. kappa-Test was employed to evaluate the goodness of agreement. Three pairs in the first reading showed excellent interobserver agreement (0.88, mean kappa-value) and another three pairs in the first and second reading also showed excellent intraobserver agreement (0.87, mean kappa-value). Quantitative indices obtained from time-activity curves for blood-pool and liver showed significant differences across four groups. Plasma retention rate of indocyanine green also showed significant difference between grade II and grade III. Imaging grade possesses high intra- and interobserver agreement and provides a good discrimination for liver function.
Ha-Kawa
S K
SK
Department of Radiology, Kansai Medical University, Japan.
Kouda
K
K
Nishida
T
T
Suga
Y
Y
Tanaka
Y
Y
Koreeda
C
C
Inoue
K
K
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004396:Coloring Agents; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007208:Indocyanine Green; D008099:Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000502:physiology; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D013668:Technetium Tc 99m Aggregated Albumin; D016284:Technetium Tc 99m Pentetate
D004396:Coloring Agents; D013668:Technetium Tc 99m Aggregated Albumin; C070561:technetium Tc 99m DTPA-galactosyl-human serum albumin; D007208:Indocyanine Green; D016284:Technetium Tc 99m Pentetate