Computer-aided detection of lung nodules on multidetector CT in concurrent-reader and second-reader modes: A comparative study

Purpose

To compare the reading times and detection performances of radiologists in concurrent-reader and second-reader modes of computer-aided detection (CAD) for lung nodules on multidetector computed tomography (CT).

Materials and Methods

Fifty clinical multidetector CT datasets containing nodules up to 20 mm in diameter were retrospectively collected. For the detection and rating of non-calcified nodules larger than 4 mm in diameter, 6 radiologists (3 experienced radiologists and 3 resident radiologists) independently interpreted these datasets twice, once with concurrent-reader CAD and once with second-reader CAD. The reference standard of nodules in the datasets was determined by the consensus of two experienced chest radiologists. The reading times and detection performances in the two modes of CAD were statistically compared, where jackknife free-response receiver operating characteristic (JAFROC) analysis was used for the comparison of detection performances.

Results

Two hundreds and seven nodules constituted the reference standard. Reading time was significantly shorter in the concurrent-reader mode than in the second-reader mode, with the mean reading time for the 6 radiologists being 132 s with concurrent-reader CAD and 210 s with second-reader CAD (p < 0.01). JAFROC analysis revealed no significant difference between the detection performances in the two modes, with the average figure-of-merit value for the 6 radiologists being 0.70 with concurrent-reader CAD and 0.72 with second-reader CAD (p = 0.35).

Conclusion

In CAD for lung nodules on multidetector CT, the concurrent-reader mode is more time-efficient than the second-reader mode, and there can be no significant difference between the two modes in terms of detection performance of radiologists.