title: Cystic fibrosis in adults: short-term and long-term reproducibility of the Brody score for lung morphology in low-dose MDCT scans.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The semi-quantitative Brody score measures the severity of cystic fibrosis (CF)-related lung disease. We investigated the short-term (28 - 60 days) and long-term (2 - 7 years) intra- and inter-observer reproducibility of the Brody score in low-dose multidetector row computed tomography examinations performed in inspiration (LDCTs) of adult CF patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Composite Brody scores and respective underlying bronchiectasis, mucus plugging, peribronchial thickening, parenchymal opacity, and hyperinflation subscores were evaluated twice (time interval, 1 - 84 months) by each of 3 independent radiologists (1 - 20 years of professional diagnostic radiology experience) in LDCTs (4 - 64 rows, 120 KVp, 10 - 15  mAs/slice, CTDIw approx. 1.0  mGy, effective dose approx. 0.5  mSv) of 15 adult patients with CF-related lung disease (8 female, 7 male, age, 18 - 50 years, mean, 33 years).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average reproducibility of the Brody score was within +/-7 % (range, 2 - 30 %) between radiologists, and +/-6 % (3 - 12 %) within radiologists (short-term, 28 - 60 days, 4 %, 0 - 12 %, long-term, 2 - 7 years, 12 %, 1 - 36 %). For the different subscores, the reproducibility was within +/-25 % (15 - 41 %) between radiologists and +/-23 % (12 - 46 %) within radiologists.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Brody score shows high average inter-observer reproducibility in LDCTs of adult CF patients. The Brody score also demonstrates high average intra-observer reproducibility if subsequent assessments are made within 28 - 61 days. With time intervals of 2 - 7 years between subsequent evaluations, however, intra-observer reproducibility decreases. Respective subscores each demonstrate lower intra- and inter-observer reproducibility than does the composite Brody score.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Munich, Muenich.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Weber
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Munich, Muenich.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Paolini
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Munich, Muenich.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schmitz
authors.affiliation: Medical Hospital V, University of Munich, Munich.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Munich, Muenich.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Coppenrath
authors.affiliation: Medical Hospital V, University of Munich, Munich.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Huber
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Munich, Muenich.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Reiser
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Munich, Muenich.
authors.forename: U G
authors.initials: UG
authors.lastname: Mueller-Lisse
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003550:Cystic Fibrosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011835:Radiation Protection / Q000379:methods*; D011857:Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*; D055815:Young Adult