An online national quality assessment survey of prostate MRI reading: interreader variability in prostate volume measurement and PI-RADS classification
2024

Quality Assessment of Prostate MRI Reading

Sample size: 43 publication 10 minutes Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Jonas Wallström, Erik Thimansson, Jim Andersson, Mathias Karlsson, Sophia Zackrisson, Ola Bratt, Fredrik Jäderling

Primary Institution: Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden

Hypothesis

How variable are prostate volume measurements and PI-RADS classifications among radiologists in Sweden?

Conclusion

The study found significant variability in prostate volume assessment and PI-RADS scoring among radiologists.

Supporting Evidence

  • 43 radiologists participated, reading at least 7 out of 10 cases.
  • The median difference in prostate volume assessment ranged from -23 mL to +6 mL.
  • Per case agreement for PI-RADS scores ranged from 33% to 86%.
  • Interreader agreement had a median kappa score of 0.53.

Takeaway

Radiologists in Sweden showed different results when measuring prostate size and scoring MRI images, which means they might not always agree on the same diagnosis.

Methodology

Radiologists measured prostate volume and assigned PI-RADS scores to ten selected MRI cases using a web-based system, with expert consensus as the reference.

Potential Biases

Variability in reader experience and the small number of cases may introduce bias in the results.

Limitations

The study had a limited number of cases and did not allow for subgroup analysis based on experience levels.

Participant Demographics

Participants included 43 radiologists from 17 departments, with varying levels of experience in prostate MRI.

Statistical Information

Confidence Interval

0.48–0.62

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1016/j.ejro.2024.100625

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