Academic Radiology

Our medical research library holds 9 studies published in Academic Radiology (2004–2014). Each entry links to the study's record on PubMed and, where there is one, to the publisher's page and a free full text. 5 have an abstract, the authors' own summary as PubMed records it: open "Abstract" to read it.

About the journal

• Publisher: Association Of University Radiologists
• Published: 1994 to the present, United States
• Language: English
• ISSN: 1076-6332 (print), 1878-4046 (electronic)
• Its record in the NLM Catalog

2010s

• Impact of body mass index on the detection of radiographic localized pleural thickening. T.C. Larson, A. Franzblau, M. Lewin, et al. 2014;21(1):3-10. PubMed · Publisher

  Abstract

  Rationale And Objectives: Subpleural fat can be difficult to distinguish from localized pleural thickening (LPT), a marker of asbestos exposure, on chest radiographs. The aims of this study were to examine the influence of body mass index (BMI) on the performance of radiograph readers when classifying LPT and to model the risk of false test results with varying BMI.

  Materials And Methods: Subjects (n = 200) were patients being screened or treated for asbestos-related health outcomes. A film chest radiograph, a digital chest radiograph, and a high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) chest scan were collected from each subject. All radiographs were independently read by seven B readers and scored using the International Labour Office system. HRCT scans, read by three experienced thoracic radiologists, served as the gold standard for the presence of LPT. We calculated measures of radiograph reader performance, including sensitivity and specificity, for each image modality. We also used logistic regression to estimate the probability of a false-positive and a false-negative result while controlling for covariates.

  Results: The proportion of false-positive readings correlated with BMI. While controlling for covariates, regression modeling showed the probability of a false-positive result increased with increasing BMI category, younger age, not having pleural calcification, and among subjects not reporting occupational or household contact asbestos exposure.

  Conclusions: Clinicians should be cautious when evaluating radiographs of younger obese persons for the presence of asbestos-related pleural plaque, particularly in populations having an anticipated low or background prevalence of LPT.

  Published by Elsevier Inc.

• Preoperative pulmonary vascular morphology and its relationship to postpneumonectomy hemodynamics. F.N. Rahaghi, D. Lazea, S. Dihya, et al. 2014;21(6):704-10. PubMed · Publisher · Free full text

  Abstract

  Rationale And Objectives: Pulmonary edema and pulmonary hypertension are postsurgical complications of pneumonectomy that may represent the remaining pulmonary vasculature's inability to accommodate the entirety of the cardiac output. Quantification of the aggregate pulmonary vascular cross-sectional area (CSA) has been used to study the development of pulmonary vascular disease in smokers. In this study, we applied this technique to demonstrate the potential utility of pulmonary vascular quantification in surgical risk assessment. Our hypothesis was that those subjects with the lowest aggregate vascular CSA in the nonoperative lung would be most likely to have elevated pulmonary vascular pressures in the postoperative period.

  Materials And Methods: A total of 61 subjects with postoperative hemodynamics and adequate imaging were identified from 159 patients undergoing pneumonectomies for mesothelioma. The total CSA of blood vessels perpendicular to the plane of computed tomographic (CT) scan slices was computed for blood vessels <5 mm(2) (CSA 5 mm). This measurement expressed as a percentage of lung parenchyma area (CSA 5%) was compared to postoperative hemodynamic measurements obtained by right heart catheterization.

  Results: In patients where a contrasted CT scan was used (n = 26), CSA 5% was correlated with postoperative day 0 minimum cardiac index (R = 0.37, P = .03) but not with the maximum pulmonary arterial pressures. In patients with noncontrast CT scans (n = 35), CSA 5% was inversely correlated with postoperative day 0 maximum pulmonary arterial pressures (R = 0.43, P = .03) but not with the minimum cardiac index. The preoperative perfusion fraction of the nonsurgical lung did not correlate with postoperative hemodynamics.

  Conclusions: CSA of pulmonary vasculature with an area ≤5 mm(2) has potential in estimating the ability of pulmonary vascular bed to accommodate postsurgical changes in pneumonectomy.

  Copyright © 2014 AUR. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

• Comparison of digital with film radiographs for the classification of pneumoconiotic pleural abnormalities. T.C. Larson, D.B. Holiday, V.C. Antao, et al. 2012;19(2):131-40. PubMed · Publisher

  Abstract

  Rationale And Objectives: Analog film radiographs are typically used to classify pneumoconiosis to allow comparison with standard film radiographs. The aim of this study was to determine if digital radiography is comparable to film for the purpose of classifying pneumoconiotic pleural abnormalities.

  Materials And Methods: Subjects were 200 asbestos-exposed patients, from whom digital and film chest radiographs were obtained along with chest high-resolution computed tomographic scans. Using a crossover design, radiographs were independently read on two occasions by seven readers, using conventional International Labour Organization standards for film and digitized standards for digital. High-resolution computed tomographic scans were read independently by three readers. Areas under the receiver-operating characteristic curves were calculated using high-resolution computed tomographic ratings as the gold standard for disease status. Mixed linear models were fit to estimate the effects of order of presentation, occasion, and modality, treating the seven readers as a random effect. Comparing digital and film radiography for each reader and occasion, crude agreement and agreement beyond chance (κ) were also calculated.

  Results: The linear models showed no statistically significant sequence effect for order of presentation (P = .73) or occasion (P = .28). Most important, the difference between modalities was not statistically significant (digital vs film, P = .54). The mean area under the curve for film was 0.736 and increased slightly to 0.741 for digital. Mean crude agreement for the presence of pleural abnormalities consistent with pneumoconiosis across all readers and occasions was 78.3%, while the mean κ value was 0.49.

  Conclusions: These results indicate that digital radiography is not statistically different from analog film for the purpose of classifying pneumoconiotic pleural abnormalities, when appropriate standards are used.

  Published by Elsevier Inc.

• Quantitative measurement of lung reexpansion in malignant pleural mesothelioma patients undergoing pleurectomy/decortication. W.F. Sensakovic, S.G. Armato, A. Starkey, et al. 2011;18(3):294-8. PubMed · Publisher · Free full text

  Abstract

  Rationale And Objectives: Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a neoplasm that grows circumferentially along the pleura. The tumor and concurrent pleural effusion may reduce lung function by restricting or preventing lung expansion. The purpose of this study was to provide objective evidence that pleurectomy/decortication (P/D) allows trapped lung to reexpand, quantify the reexpansion based on computed tomography (CT) scans, and investigate whether the expansion persists after surgery.

  Materials And Methods: A database of 12 patients demonstrating unilateral MPM was collected. Each patient underwent a presurgical CT scan, surgical debulking by P/D, and two postsurgical CT scans (at 1 and 4 months). The lung volume was measured in each scan using an automated algorithm and compared for each patient across time.

  Results: An increase in the ipsilateral postsurgical lung volume was observed for 10 of 12 patients (83%) 1 month after surgery. The median ipsilateral volume increase was 44% relative to the presurgical ipsilateral volume and 21% relative to the contralateral volume. A statistically significant change in ipsilateral lung volume was not observed between 1‑month and 4‑month postsurgical scans, implying that the volume improvement persisted months after surgery.

  Conclusions: Debulking of MPM with P/D substantially increased the ipsilateral lung volume relative to both the presurgical ipsilateral volume and the contralateral lung volume. This improvement persisted months after surgery.

  Copyright © 2011 AUR. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

2000s

• Comparison of "B" readers' interpretations of chest radiographs for asbestos related changes. J.N. Gitlin, L.L. Cook, O.W. Linton, et al. 2004;11(8):843-56. PubMed · Publisher

  Abstract

  Rationale And Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine if chest radiographic interpretations by physicians retained by attorneys representing persons alleging respiratory changes from occupational exposure to asbestos would be confirmed by independent consultant readers.

  Materials And Methods: For 551 chest radiographs read as positive for lung changes by initial "B" readers retained by plaintiffs' attorneys, 492 matching interpretative reports were made available to the authors. Six consultants in chest radiology, also B readers, agreed to re-interpret the radiographs independently without knowledge of their provenance. The film source, patient name, and other identifiers on each film were masked. The International Labor Office 1980 Classification of Chest Radiographs(ILO 80) was used with forms designed by the US National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health to record the consult-ants' findings. The results were compared with initial readings for film quality, complete negativity, parenchymal abnormalities,small opacities profusion, and pleural abnormalities using chi-square tests and kappa statistics.Results. Initial readers interpreted study radiographs as positive for parenchymal abnormalities (ILO small opacity profusion category of 1/0 or higher) in 95.9% of 492 cases. Six consultants classified the films as 1/0 or higher in 4.5% of 2,952 readings. Statistical tests of these and other comparable data from the study showed highly significant differences between the interpretations of the initial readers and the findings of the consultants.

  Conclusion: The magnitude of the differences between the interpretations by initial readers and the six consultants is too great to be attributed to interobserver variability. There is no support in the literature on x-ray studies of workers exposed to asbestos and other mineral dusts for the high level of positive findings recorded by the initial readers in this report.

• Comparison of B readers' interpretations of chest radiographs for asbestos related changes. J.P. Kassirer. 2004;11(12):1396; author reply 1402-4. Letter · Comment PubMed · Publisher

• Comparison of B readers' interpretations of chest radiographs for asbestos related changes. L.C. Oliver, L.S. Welch, M.R. Harbut. 2004;11(12):1397-9; author reply 1402-4. Letter · Comment PubMed · Publisher

• Comparison of B readers' interpretations of chest radiographs for asbestos related changes. K.D. Rosenman. 2004;11(12):1396-7; author reply 1402-4. Letter · Comment PubMed · Publisher

• Comparison of B readers' interpretations of chest radiographs for asbestos related changes. A. Franzblau, B. Gillespie. 2004;11(12):1400-2; author reply 1402-4. Letter · Comment PubMed · Publisher

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