title: Comparison of manual and semi-automatic measuring techniques in MSCT scans of patients with lymphoma: a multicentre study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Multicentre evaluation of the precision of semi-automatic 2D/3D measurements in comparison to manual, linear measurements of lymph nodes regarding their inter-observer variability in multi-slice CT (MSCT) of patients with lymphoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  MSCT data of 63 patients were interpreted before and after chemotherapy by one/two radiologists in five university hospitals. In 307 lymph nodes, short (SAD)/long (LAD) axis diameter and WHO area were determined manually and semi-automatically. Volume was solely calculated semi-automatically. To determine the precision of the individual parameters, a mean was calculated for every lymph node/parameter. Deviation of the measured parameters from this mean was evaluated separately. Statistical analysis entailed intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and Kruskal-Wallis tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Median relative deviations of semi-automatic parameters were smaller than deviations of manually assessed parameters, e.g. semi-automatic SAD 5.3 vs. manual 6.5 %. Median variations among different study sites were smaller if the measurement was conducted semi-automatically, e. g. manual LAD 5.7/4.2 % vs. semi-automatic 3.4/3.4 %. Semi-automatic volumetry was superior to the other parameters (2.8 %).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Semi-automatic determination of different lymph node parameters is (compared to manually assessed parameters) associated with a slightly greater precision and a marginally lower inter-observer variability. These results are with regard to the increasing mobility of patients among different medical centres and in relation to the quality management of multicentre trials of importance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  • In a multicentre setting, semi-automatic measurements are more accurate than manual assessments. • Lymph node volumetry outperforms all other semi-automatically and manually performed measurements. • Use of semi-automatic lymph node analyses can reduce the inter-observer variability.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Radiology, University Hospital Münster, Albert-Schweitzer-Campus 1 (Building: A1), 48149, Münster, Germany, anna.hoeink@ukmuenster.de.
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Höink
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Weßling
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Koch
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schülke
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kohlhase
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wassenaar
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Mesters
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: D'Anastasi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fabel
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wulff
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pinto dos Santos
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kießling
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Graser
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Dicken
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Karpitschka
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bornemann
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Heindel
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Buerke
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D061330:Multidetector Computed Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D012372:ROC Curve; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D055815:Young Adult