Features of non-small cell lung carcinomas overlooked at digital chest radiography

Wu, M.-H.; Gotway, M.B.; Lee, T.J.; Chern, M.-S.; Cheng, H.-C.; Ko, J.S.-C.; Sheu, M.-H.; Chang, C.-Y.

doi:10.1016/j.crad.2007.09.011

« Previous Next »Clinical Radiology
Volume 63, Issue 5 , Pages 518-528, May 2008

Features of non-small cell lung carcinomas overlooked at digital chest radiography

M.-H. Wu
- Department of Radiology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China
- National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China
M.B. Gotway
- Scottsdale Medical Imaging, Scottsdale, Arizona, USA
- Department of Radiology, University of California, San Francisco, USA
- Guarantor and correspondent: M.B. Gotway, Scottsdale Medical Imaging, an Affiliate of Southwest Diagnostic Imaging, 3501 North Scottsdale Road, Suite 130, Box 1573, Scottsdale, Arizona 85251, USA. Tel.: +1 480 425 5000; fax: +1 480 425 5010.
T.J. Lee
- Department of Radiology, University of California, San Francisco, USA
M.-S. Chern
- National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China
- West Garden Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China
H.-C. Cheng
- National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China
- VGH-HT Medical Imaging Center, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China
J.S.-C. Ko
- National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China
- VGH-HT Medical Imaging Center, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China
M.-H. Sheu
- Department of Radiology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China
- National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China
C.-Y. Chang
- Department of Radiology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China
- National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China

Received 27 January 2007; received in revised form 22 September 2007; accepted 24 September 2007.

Purpose

To examine the imaging features of non-small cell lung carcinomas (NSCLC) overlooked at digital chest radiography (dCXR), and compare general and thoracic radiologists' performance for lung carcinoma detection at dCXR.

Methods

Frontal and lateral dCXR from 30 consecutive patients with lung carcinoma overlooked during initial interpretation and 30 normal controls were independently retrospectively reviewed by two blinded thoracic radiologists and, in a separate review, three blinded general radiologists. The location, size, histopathology, borders, presence of superimposed structures, and lesion opacity were recorded. Interobserver agreement was calculated, and the detection performance between thoracic and general radiologists was compared.

Results

The average patient age was 67.9 years (range 47–82 years). The average size of carcinomas missed by the thoracic radiologists was 18.1mm (range 10–32mm). Lesion margins were circumscribed in 29% (2/7), and 71% (5/7) of missed lesions were obscured by anatomical superimposition. Seventy-one percent (5/7) of missed lesions were solid nodules on computed tomography (CT) images. Forty-three percent of lesions were located in the upper lobes and 63% were adenocarcinomas. Compared with general radiologists, the seven NSCLC missed by the thoracic radiologists tended to be smaller (p=0.063), had significantly lower CT density measurements (−92.4±87.5 HU versus −70±87.2 HU, p=0.050), and more commonly had an ill-defined margin (p=0.026). The clinical stage of the overlooked lesions did not differ between the two groups (p=0.480).

Conclusions

The lesion size, location, conspicuity, and histopathology impact the likelihood of lung carcinoma detection at dCXR in a fashion similar to that of conventional film-screen techniques.