title: Accuracy of automated volumetry of pulmonary nodules across different multislice CT scanners.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Radiology, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstrasse 30, 52072 Aachen, Germany. das@rad.rwth-aachen.de
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Das
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ley-Zaporozhan
authors.forename: H A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Gietema
authors.forename: Andre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Czech
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mühlenbruch
authors.forename: Andreas H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Mahnken
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Katoh
authors.forename: Annemarie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bakai
authors.forename: Marcos
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salganicoff
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Diederich
authors.forename: Mathias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Prokop
authors.forename: Hans-Ulrich
authors.initials: HU
authors.lastname: Kauczor
authors.forename: Rolf W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Günther
authors.forename: Joachim E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Wildberger
mesh_terms: 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