An Investigation into the Consistency in Mammographic Density Identification by Radiologists: Effect of Radiologist Expertise and Mammographic Appearance.

The aim of this work is to investigate how radiologist expertise and image appearance may have an impact on inter-reader variability of mammographic density (MD) identification. Seventeen radiologists, divided into three expertise groups, were asked to manually segment the areas they consider to be MD in 40 clinical images. The variation in identification of MD for each image was quantified by finding the range of segmentation areas. The impact of radiologist expertise and image appearance on this variation was explored. The range of areas chosen by participating radiologists varied from 7 to 73% across the 40 images, with a mean range of 35 ± 13%. Participants with high expertise were more likely to choose similar areas to one another, compared to participants with medium and low expertise levels (mean range were 19 ± 10%, 29 ± 13% and 25 ± 14 %, respectively, p < 0.0001). There was a significantly higher average grey level for the area segmented by all radiologists as MD compared to the area of variation, with mean grey level value for 8-bit images being 146 ± 19 vs. 99 ± 14, respectively. MD segmentation borders were consistent in areas where there was a sharp intensity change within a short distance. In conclusion, radiologists with high expertise tend to have a higher agreement when identifying MD. Tissues which have a lower contrast and a less visually sharp gradient change at the interface between high density tissue and adipose background lead to inter-reader variation in choosing mammographic density.

Markers of good performance in mammography depend on number of annual readings.

PURPOSE: To explore relationships between reader performance and reader characteristics in mammography for specific radiologist groupings on the basis of annual number of readings. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The institutional review board approved the study and waived the need for patient consent to use all images. Readers gave informed consent. One hundred sixteen radiologists independently reviewed 60 mammographic cases: 20 cases with cancer and 40 cases with normal findings. Readers located any visualized cancer, and levels of confidence were scored from 1 to 5. A jackknifing free response operating characteristic (JAFROC) method was used, and figures of merit along with sensitivity and specificity were correlated with reader characteristics by using Spearman techniques and standard multiple regressions. RESULTS: Reader performance was positively correlated with number of years since qualification as a radiologist (P ≤ .01), number of years reading mammograms (P ≤ .03), and number of readings per year (P ≤ .0001). The number of years since qualification as a radiologist (P ≤ .004) and number of years of reading mammograms (P ≤ .002) were negatively related to JAFROC values for radiologists with annual volumes of less than 1000 mammographic readings. For individuals with more than 5000 mammographic readings per year, JAFROC values were positively related to the number of years that the reader was qualified as a radiologist (P ≤ .01), number of years of reading mammograms (P ≤ .002), and number of hours per week of reading mammograms (P ≤ .003). Number of mammographic readings per year was positively related with JAFROC scores for readers with an annual volume between 1000 and 5000 readings (P ≤ .03). Differences in JAFROC scores appear to be more related to specificity than location sensitivity, with the former demonstrating significant relationships with four of the five characteristics analyzed, whereas no relationships were shown for the latter. CONCLUSION: Radiologists' determinants of performance are associated with annual reading volumes. Ability to recognize normal images is a discriminating factor in individuals with a high volume of mammographic readings.

Maximising coverage of brain structures using controlled reflux, convection-enhanced delivery and the recessed step catheter.

BACKGROUND: The design and use of convection-enhanced delivery catheters remains an active field as clinical trials have highlighted suboptimal distribution as a contributory factor to the failure of those studies. Recent studies indicate limitations and challenges in achieving target coverage using conventional point source delivery. NEW METHOD: The recessed step catheter(RSC), developed by this group, does not function as a point source delivery device, but instead uses 'controlled reflux' of the infusate to a flow inhibiting recess feature. Here we investigate a range of clinically useful step lengths in agarose gel and investigate proof-of-principle in vivo(n = 5). Infusion morphology was characterised in terms of length, width and distribution volume over a range of flow rates. RESULTS: For a fixed infusion volume, increases in catheter step length strongly correlated with increases in the length and volume of distribution (r>0.90, p < 0.001) whilst there were small reductions in the width of distribution (r<-0.62, p < 0.001). Step lengths below 6 mm produced spherical distributions while steps above 12 mm produced elongated distributions. Increasing peak flow rates resulted in significant reductions in distribution volume at each step length, and an increased risk of reflux beyond the step. Modifications to the infusion morphology using changes in step length were confirmed in vivo. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of the recessed step and the ability to adjust the step length with this catheter design make it highly suitable for tailoring the distribution volume of the infusate to meet specific morphological target volumes in the brain.

Mammographic density and cancer detection: does digital imaging challenge our current understanding?

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: To investigate the impact of breast density on the performance of radiologists when mammograms are digitally acquired and displayed. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 150 craniocaudal digital mammograms including 75 cases with cancer were examined by 14 radiologists divided into two groups: those who read more (six) and less (eight) than 2000 mammograms per year. Cases were classified as low or high mammographic density. For both types of cases, detection of cancers within and outside the dense fibroglandular tissue was investigated. The performance of radiologist was measured using jack-knife free-response receiver operating characteristic (JAFROC) figure of merit (FOM). RESULTS: Radiologists with over 2000 annual reads had significantly higher JAFROC FOM (P = .03) for high (0.76) mammographic density compared to low (0.70) mammographic density cases. When lesions overlaid the fibroglandular tissue, cases with high mammographic density compared to low mammographic density displayed increased location sensitivity for all radiologists (P = .03) and for those radiologists reading more than 2000 mammograms annually (P = .04), whereas JAFROC FOMs increased for all radiologists (P = .05). No significant changes were observed when the lesion was outside the fibroglandular region. CONCLUSIONS: Increased mammographic density improves the performance of experienced radiologists when using digital mammograms. This finding, which does not align with those previously reported for film screen systems, may be because of windowing/leveling opportunities available with digital images.

Quantitative measures confirm the inverse relationship between lesion spiculation and detection of breast masses.

OBJECTIVE: To identify specific mammographic appearances that reduce the mammographic detection of breast cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study received institutional board review approval and all readers gave informed consent. A set of 60 mammograms each consisting of craniocaudal and mediolateral oblique projections were presented to 129 mammogram Breastscreen readers. The images consisted of 20 positive cases with single and multicentric masses in 16 and 4 cases, respectively (resulting in a total of 24 cancers), and readers were asked to identify and locate the lesions. Each lesion was then ranked according to a detectability rating (ie, the number of observers who correctly located the lesion divided by the total number of observers), and this was correlated with breast density, lesion size, and various descriptors of lesion shape and texture. RESULTS: Negative and positive correlations between lesion detection and density (r = -0.64, P = .007) and size (r = 0.65, P = .005), respectively, were demonstrated. In terms of lesion size and shape, there were significant correlations between the probability of detection and area (r = 0.43, P = .04), perimeter (r = 0.66, P = .0004), lesion elongation (r = 0.49, P = .02), and lesion nonspiculation (r = 0.78, P < .0001). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study have identified specific lesion characteristics associated with shape that may contribute to reduced cancer detection. Mammographic sensitivity may be adversely affected without appropriate attention to spiculation.

The effect of JPEG2000 compression on detection of skull fractures.

RATIONAL AND OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effect of the Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG2000) 30:1 and 60:1 lossy compression on the detection of cranial vault fractures when compared to JPEG2000 lossless compression. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty cranial computed tomography (CT) images were processed with three different level of JPEG2000 compression (lossless, 30:1 lossy, and 60:1 lossy) creating three sets of images. These were presented to five musculoskeletal specialists and five neuroradiologists. Each reader read at two of the three compression levels. Twenty-two cases contained a single fracture; the remaining 28 cases contained no fractures. Observers were asked to identify the presence or absence of a fracture, to locate its site, and rate their degree of confidence. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC), jackknife free-response receiver operating characteristic (JAFROC) and the Dorfman-Berbaum-Metz multiple reader multiple case (DBM-MRMC) analyses were used to explore differences between the lossless and lossy compressed images. RESULTS: JPEG2000 lossless and 30:1 lossy compression demonstrated no significant difference in their performance with JAFROC and DBM-MRMC analysis (P < .416); however, JPEG2000 30:1 lossy compression demonstrated significantly better performance than 60:1 lossy compression (P < .016). A significant increase in misplaced confidence ratings was also seen with 60:1 (P < .037) over 30:1 lossy and lossless compression. CONCLUSION: JPEG2000 60:1 compression degrades the detection of skull fractures significantly while increasing the confidence with which readers rate fractures compared with 30:1 lossy and lossless compression. JPEG2000 30:1 lossy compression does not significantly change performance when compared to JPEG2000 lossless for the detection of skull fractures on CT.