title: Observer accuracy in the detection of pulmonary nodules on CT: effect of cine frame rate.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the effect of cine frame rate on the accuracy of the detection of pulmonary nodules at computed tomography (CT).
  
  
  METHODS
  CT images of 15 consecutive patients with (n = 13) or without (n = 2) pulmonary metastases were identified. Initial assessment by two thoracic radiologists provided the "actual" or reference reading. Subsequently, 10 radiologists [board certified radiologists (n = 4) or radiology residents (n = 6)] used different fixed cine frame rates for nodule detection. Within-subjects analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to evaluate the data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighty-nine nodules were identified by the thoracic radiologists (median 8, range 0-29 per patient; median diameter 9 mm, range 4-40 mm). There was a non-statistically significant trend to reduced accuracy at higher frame rates (p=0.113) with no statistically significant difference between experienced observers and residents (p = 0.79).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The accuracy of pulmonary nodule detection at higher cine frame rates is reduced, unrelated to observer experience.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College NHS Trust, London W12 0HS, UK. sue.copley@imperial.nhs.uk
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Copley
authors.forename: T H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Bryant
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Chambers
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Harvey
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Hodson
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Graham
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Lynch
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Paley
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Partridge
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rangi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schmitz
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Win
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Todd
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Desai
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000556:secondary*; D015588:Observer Variation; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*