Value of structured reporting in neuromuscular disorders.

OBJECTIVE: To assess whether structured reports (SRs) of MRI in patients with inherited neuromuscular disorders (IND) provide more clinically relevant information than non-structured reports (NSRs) and whether neuroradiologists' expertise affects completeness of reports. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Lower limbs' MRI reports of patients with IND produced by neuroradiologists with different level of expertise (> 15 years vs. < 15 years of experience in reading IND-MRI) before and after implementation of a SR template were included. Reports were assessed for the presence of 9 key features relevant for IND management. Reports and images were evaluated by neurologists who assessed: disease-specific muscular involvement pattern; presence of sufficient information to order the appropriate genetic/diagnostic tests; presence of sufficient information to make therapeutic decision/perform biopsy and necessity to review MRI images. Mann-Whitney and Fisher's exact tests were used to compare the number of key features for NSR and SR and neurologists' answers for reports produced by neuroradiologists with different experience. RESULTS: Thirty-one SRs and 101 NSRs were reviewed. A median of 8 and 6 key features was present in SR and NSR, respectively (p value < 0.0001). When reports were produced by less expert neuroradiologists, neurologists recognized muscular involvement pattern, had sufficient information for clinical decision-making/perform biopsy more often with SR than NSR (p values: < 0.0001), and needed to evaluate images less often with SR (p value: 0.0001). When reports produced by expert neuroradiologists were evaluated, no significant difference in neurologists' answers was observed. CONCLUSION: SR of IND-MRI contained more often clinically relevant information considered important for disease management than NSR. Radiologist's expertise affects completeness of NSR reports.

Do MRI Structured Reports for Multiple Sclerosis Contain Adequate Information for Clinical Decision Making?

OBJECTIVE: Few data are available on how often MRI reports provide sufficient information for clinical decision making in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). The aim of this study is to evaluate if structured reporting of MRI in MS contain adequate information for clinical decision making compared with nonstructured reporting. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Brain and spinal cord MRI reports of patients with suspected or known MS before and after implementation of a structured reporting template were included. Brain and spinal cord MRI reports were assessed for presence of 11 and three key features relevant for management of MS, respectively. Three neurologists evaluated reports and images to assess lesion load, presence of sufficient information for clinical decision making, and necessity to review MR images for clinical decision making. Statistical analysis included t tests and chi-square tests. RESULTS: Thirty-two structured and 37 nonstructured reports were reviewed. Brain MRI nonstructured reports contained a mean ± SD of 3.59 ± 0.76 key features, and structured reports contained a mean of 10.25 ± 1.32 key features (p < 0.001). No significant difference was observed in the number of key features in nonstructured and structured spinal cord MRI reports. All neurologists could understand lesion load significantly more often when reading structured versus nonstructured reports (p < 0.001). For two of the three neurologists, structured reports contained adequate information for clinical decision making more often than did nonstructured reports (p < 0.001 and p = 0.006). When reading nonstructured reports, two of the three neurologists needed to evaluate images significantly more often (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Structured reports of MRI in patients with MS provided more adequate information for clinical decision making than nonstructured reports.

Aging and Brain Atrophy in Multiple Sclerosis.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Brain atrophy accelerates at the age of 60 in healthy individuals (HI) and at disease onset in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. Whether there is an exacerbating effect of aging superimposed on MS-related brain atrophy is unknown. We estimated the aging effect on lateral ventricular volume (LVV) and whole brain volume (WBV) changes in MS patients. METHODS: 1,982 MS patients (mean follow-up: 4.8 years) and 351 HI (mean follow-up: of 3.1 years), aged from 20 to 79 years old (yo), were collected retrospectively. Percent LVV change (PLVVC) and percent brain volume change (PBVC) on 1.5T and 3T MRI scanners (median of 3.9 scans per subject) were calculated. These were determined between all-time points and subjects were divided in six-decade age groups. MRI differences between age groups were calculated using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). RESULTS: Compared to HI, at first MRI, MS patients had significantly increased LVV in the age groups: 30-39 yo, 40-49 yo, 50-59 yo, 60-69 yo (all P < .0001), and 70-79 yo (P = .029), and decreased WBV in the age groups: 20-29 yo (P = .024), 30-39 yo (P = .031), 40-49 yo, and 50-59 yo (all P < .0001). Annualized PLVVC was significantly different between the age groups 20-59 and 60-79 yo in MS patients (P = .005) and HI (P < .0001), as was for PBVC in MS patients (P = .001), but not for HI (P = .521). There was a significant aging interaction effect in the annualized PLVVC (P = .001) between HI and MS patients, which was not observed for the annualized PBVC (P = .380). CONCLUSIONS: Development of brain atrophy manifests progressively in MS patients, and occurs with a different pattern, as compared to aging HI. PLVVC increased across age in HI as compared to MS, while PBVC decreased across ages in both HI and MS.