[Interobserver variability in CT of oro- and hypopharyngeal carcinomas].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the inter- and intraobserver reproducibilities of computed tomography (CT) in patients with oro- and hypopharyngeal carcinomas.


METHODS
Two independent readers interpreted the CT images of 41 patients with hypopharyngeal carcinomas, 45 patients with oropharyngeal carcinomas, and 23 patients without a tumor. All relevant subregional anatomic structures were evaluated for the presence of tumor infiltration. Statistical analysis was done by using Cohen's kappa and the Wilcoxon test; subregional prevalences, sensitivities, and specificities were also determined.


RESULTS
Mostly, especially for clinically relevant subregions, moderate and substantial inter- and intraobserver reproducibilities were determined (range of the determined kappa values: 0.25-1.00). The kappa values of the intraobserver reproducibilities of both readers were not significantly different (P = 0.20). The kappa values of the intraobserver reproducibilities were in almost all the cases higher than the respective kappa values of the interobserver reproducibility.


CONCLUSIONS
CT of oro- and hypopharyngeal carcinomas can be interpreted with clinically acceptable variability. A higher agreement can be achieved if repeated interpretation is done by a single person.
Keberle
M
M
Institut für Röntgendiagnostik, Universität Würzburg. marc.keberle@mail-uni-wuerzburg.de
Kenn
W
W
Müller
H
H
Hahn
D
D
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007012:Hypopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D007013:Hypopharynx / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D015588:Observer Variation; D009959:Oropharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D009960:Oropharynx / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
Untersucherabhängigkeit der CT von Oro- und Hypopharynxkarzinomen.