title: Semi-Automated Quantification of Finger Joint Space Narrowing Using Tomosynthesis in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis.
abstract: The purpose of the study is to validate the semi-automated method using tomosynthesis images for the assessment of finger joint space narrowing (JSN) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), by using the semi-quantitative scoring method as the reference standard. Twenty patients (14 females and 6 males) with RA were included in this retrospective study. All patients underwent radiography and tomosynthesis of the bilateral hand and wrist. Two rheumatologists and a radiologist independently scored JSN with two modalities according to the Sharp/van der Heijde score. Two observers independently measured joint space width on tomosynthesis images using an in-house semi-automated method. More joints with JSN were revealed with tomosynthesis score (243 joints) and the semi-automated method (215 joints) than with radiography (120 joints), and the associations between tomosynthesis scores and radiography scores were demonstrated (P < 0.001). There was significant, negative correlation between measured joint space width and tomosynthesis scores with r = -0.606 (P < 0.001) in metacarpophalangeal joints and r = -0.518 (P < 0.001) in proximal interphalangeal joints. Inter-observer and intra-observer agreement of the semi-automated method using tomosynthesis images was in almost perfect agreement with intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) values of 0.964 and 0.963, respectively. The semi-automated method using tomosynthesis images provided sensitive, quantitative, and reproducible measurement of finger joint space in patients with RA.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, North-12 West-5, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-0812, Japan.
authors.forename: Shota
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ichikawa
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, North-12 West-5, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-0812, Japan. ktamotamo2@yahoo.co.jp.
authors.forename: Tamotsu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kamishima
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, North-15 West-7, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-8638, Japan.
authors.forename: Kenneth
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sutherland
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, Sapporo Medical Center NTT EC, South-1 West-15, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, 060-0061, Japan.
authors.forename: Hideki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kasahara
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology, Endocrinology and Nephrology, Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Kita-15, Nishi-7, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-8638, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, North-12 West-5, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-0812, Japan.
authors.forename: Motoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fujimori
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Sapporo Medical Center NTT EC, South-1 West-15, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, 060-0061, Japan.
authors.forename: Nobutoshi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yasojima
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Sapporo Medical Center NTT EC, South-1 West-15, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, 060-0061, Japan.
authors.forename: Yohei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ono
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, North-12 West-5, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-0812, Japan.
authors.forename: Takahiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kaneda
authors.affiliation: Sapporo Medical Center NTT EC, South-1 West-15, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, 060-0061, Japan.
authors.forename: Takao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Koike
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D005384:Finger Joint / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008662:Metacarpophalangeal Joint / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies
keywords: Computer-aided diagnosis; Conventional radiography; Joint space narrowing; Rheumatoid arthritis; Tomosynthesis