CAD plus MDCT useful in finding lung nodules

Tuesday, 30 November 1999 00:00 |

Computer-aided detection combined with MDCT improves radiologists' ability to detect solid lung nodules early enough for them to be treated without increasing interpretation time, according to a recent study conducted by researchers at Hopital Pitie-Salpetriere in Paris, France.

"The comparison of a current examination with prior examinations is a time-consuming and tedious task," said Philippe A. Grenier, MD, lead author of the study. "This study wanted to evaluate the potential of a computerized automated system to improve human efficiency in this way, and determine whether CAD systems improve the detection of actionable lung nodules," he said.

The study consisted of 54 pairs of low-dose MDCT chest exams. The CAD system detected 52 nodules that were 4 mm or larger in 25 exams. One cancer was initially missed by one radiologist but was correctly identified with CAD input. On average, readers spent four to five minutes per case to read the paired exams on CAD and six to eight seconds per CAD mark. The CAD system successfully matched 91.3 per cent of nodules detected in both exams.

"This demonstrates the added value of CAD systems as a second reader, CAD was sensitive allowing us the potential to assess more accurately the growth of indeterminate nodules, without compromising the reading time," said Dr. Grenier.

"We were surprised by the fact that the time spent on the CAD workstation reviewing the current and previous exams corresponded to the time necessary to detect and match lung nodules on the clinical workstation," said Dr. Grenier. "We have implemented CAD as part of our routine for these examinations," he said.

The full results of this study appear in the October issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology, published by the American Roentgen Ray Society.