Accuracy of automated volumetry of pulmonary nodules across different multislice CT scanners.
The purpose of this study was to compare the accuracy of an automated volumetry software for phantom pulmonary nodules across various 16-slice multislice spiral CT (MSCT) scanners from different vendors. A lung phantom containing five different nodule categories (intraparenchymal, around a vessel, vessel attached, pleural, and attached to the pleura), with each category comprised of 7-9 nodules (total, n = 40) of varying sizes (diameter 3-10 mm; volume 6.62 mm(3)-525 mm(3)), was scanned with four different 16-slice MSCT scanners (Siemens, GE, Philips, Toshiba). Routine and low-dose chest protocols with thin and thick collimations were applied. The data from all scanners were used for further analysis using a dedicated prototype volumetry software. Absolute percentage volume errors (APE) were calculated and compared. The mean APE for all nodules was 8.4% (+/-7.7%) for data acquired with the 16-slice Siemens scanner, 14.3% (+/-11.1%) for the GE scanner, 9.7% (+/-9.6%) for the Philips scanner and 7.5% (+/-7.2%) for the Toshiba scanner, respectively. The lowest APEs were found within the diameter size range of 5-10 mm and volumes >66 mm(3). Nodule volumetry is accurate with a reasonable volume error in data from different scanner vendors. This may have an important impact for intraindividual follow-up studies.
Das
Marco
M
Department of Diagnostic Radiology, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstrasse 30, 52072 Aachen, Germany. das@rad.rwth-aachen.de
Ley-Zaporozhan
Julia
J
Gietema
H A
HA
Czech
Andre
A
Mühlenbruch
Georg
G
Mahnken
Andreas H
AH
Katoh
Markus
M
Bakai
Annemarie
A
Salganicoff
Marcos
M
Diederich
Stefan
S
Prokop
Mathias
M
Kauczor
Hans-Ulrich
HU
Günther
Rolf W
RW
Wildberger
Joachim E
JE
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D006801:Humans; D010363:Pattern Recognition, Automated / Q000379:methods*; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D011857:Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012984:Software; D003074:Solitary Pulmonary Nodule / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D015898:Tomography Scanners, X-Ray Computed; D036542:Tomography, Spiral Computed / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000295:instrumentation