Pulmonary nodule detection with low-dose CT of the lung: agreement among radiologists.

Objective: The purpose of our study was to assess relative intra- and interobserver agreement in detecting pulmonary nodules when interpreting low-dose chest CT screening examinations.

Materials And Methods: Two hundred ninety-three selected low-dose CT examinations of the lung were independently interpreted by three radiologists to detect and classify pulmonary nodules. The data set selected was enriched with examinations depicting pulmonary nodules.

Size and morphology of the trachea before and after lung volume reduction surgery.

Objective: The purpose of this investigation was to determine the effect of lung volume reduction surgery on measured tracheal features.

Materials And Methods: Twenty-four male and 19 female patients with emphysema underwent lung volume reduction surgery, pulmonary function testing, and repeated CT. The tracheal air column was segmented from axial images.

Foot and ankle biomechanics.

With the advent of imaging advancements there has been renewed interest in the foot and ankle. However, many of the basic functions and biomechanical considerations of the bones, joints, and specialized tissues of the normal and dysfunctional foot and ankle remain unfamiliar to many radiologists. This article focuses on the basic biomechanics, normal alignment, and common alignment disorders of the foot and ankle that are relevant to radiologists.

Biomechanics of tendons and tendon failure.

Research into the biomechanical properties of tendons had led to a better understanding of the functional and pathophysiologic processes that occur in vivo, particularly in the setting of tendon injury and failure. Increasingly, biomechanical information is being utilized in the clinical setting, guiding patient management in certain circumstances. Differentiating minor and self-limiting abnormalities from those in which specific treatment may prevent further disability from altered biomechanics may become an important role for imaging.

Prevalence effect in a laboratory environment.

Purpose: To measure observer performance at various levels of prevalence.

Materials And Methods: A multiobserver multiabnormality receiver operating characteristic (ROC) study to assess the effect of prevalence on observer performance was conducted. Fourteen observers, including eight faculty members, two fellows, and four residents, interpreted 1,632 posteroanterior chest images with five prevalence levels by using a nested study design.