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    Semi‐quantitative methods yield greater inter‐ and intraobserver agreement than subjective methods for interpreting 99m technetium‐hydroxymethylene‐diphosphonate uptake in equine thoracic processi spinosi (2018)

    Art
    Zeitschriftenartikel / wissenschaftlicher Beitrag
    Autoren
    van Zadelhoff, Claudia (WE 17)
    Ehrle, Anna (WE 17)
    Merle, Roswitha (WE 16)
    Jahn, Werner
    Lischer, Christoph (WE 17)
    Quelle
    Veterinary radiology & ultrasound : the official journal of the American College of Veterinary Radiology and the International Veterinary Radiology Association
    Bandzählung: 59
    Heftzählung: 4
    Seiten: 469 – 476
    ISSN: 1058-8183
    Sprache
    Englisch
    Verweise
    URL (Volltext): https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/vru.12621
    DOI: 10.1111/vru.12621
    Pubmed: 29742312
    Kontakt
    Institut für Veterinär-Epidemiologie und Biometrie

    Königsweg 67
    14163 Berlin
    +49 30 838 56034
    epi@vetmed.fu-berlin.de

    Abstract / Zusammenfassung

    Scintigraphy is a standard diagnostic method for evaluating horses with back pain due to suspected thoracic processus spinosus pathology. Lesion detection is based on subjective or semi-quantitative assessments of increased uptake. This retrospective, analytical study is aimed to compare semi-quantitative and subjective methods in the evaluation of scintigraphic images of the processi spinosi in the equine thoracic spine. Scintigraphic images of 20 Warmblood horses, presented for assessment of orthopedic conditions between 2014 and 2016, were included in the study. Randomized, blinded image evaluation was performed by 11 veterinarians using subjective and semi-quantitative methods. Subjective grading was performed for the analysis of red-green-blue and grayscale scintigraphic images, which were presented in full-size or as masked images. For the semi-quantitative assessment, observers placed regions of interest over each processus spinosus. The uptake ratio of each processus spinosus in comparison to a reference region of interest was determined. Subsequently, a modified semi-quantitative calculation was developed whereby only the highest counts-per-pixel for a specified number of pixels was processed. Inter- and intraobserver agreement was calculated using intraclass correlation coefficients. Inter- and intraobserver intraclass correlation coefficients were 41.65% and 71.39%, respectively, for the subjective image assessment. Additionally, a correlation between intraobserver agreement, experience, and grayscale images was identified. The inter- and intraobserver agreement was significantly increased when using semi-quantitative analysis (97.35% and 98.36%, respectively) or the modified semi-quantitative calculation (98.61% and 98.82%, respectively). The proposed modified semi-quantitative technique showed a higher inter- and intraobserver agreement when compared to other methods, which makes it a useful tool for the analysis of scintigraphic images. The association of the findings from this study with clinical and radiological examinations requires further investigation.