Evaluation of the usefulness of color digital summation radiography in temporally sequential digital radiographs: a phantom study.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to assess the usefulness of color digital summation radiography (CDSR) for detection of nodules on chest radiographs by observers with different levels of experience.


METHODS
A total of 30 radiographs of chest phantoms with abnormalities and 30 normal ones were arranged at random. Set A was conventional radiographs only. Set B consisted of both conventional radiographs and CDSR images, which were colored with magenta. Five chest radiologists and five residents evaluated both image sets on a TFT monitor. The observers were asked to rate each image set using a continuous rating scale. The reading time for each set was also recorded.


RESULTS
In set A, the performance of chest radiologists was significantly superior to that of the residents (P < 0.05). However, in set B, there was no significant difference in the performance of the chest radiologists and the residents. In both observer groups, the mean reading time per case in set B was significantly shorter than that in set A (P < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
By using CDSR, the detection capability of observers with little experience improves and is comparable to that of experienced observers. Moreover, the reading time becomes much shorter using CDSR.
Ogata
Yuji
Y
Department of Medical Physics, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-7 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan. ogata@sahs.med.Osaka-u.ac.jp
Naito
Hiroaki
H
Tomiyama
Noriyuki
N
Hamada
Seiki
S
Kozuka
Takenori
T
Koyama
Mitsuhiro
M
Tsubamoto
Mitusko
M
Murai
Sachiko
S
Ueguchi
Takashi
T
Matsumoto
Mitsuhiro
M
Tamura
Shinichi
S
Nakamura
Hironobu
H
Johkoh
Takeshi
T
D003116:Color; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D015588:Observer Variation; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic / Q000379:methods*; D011897:Random Allocation; D003074:Solitary Pulmonary Nodule / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*