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Variability of bronchial measurements obtained by sequential CT using two computer-based methods

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Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the variability of lumen (LA) and wall area (WA) measurements obtained on two successive MDCT acquisitions using energy-driven contour estimation (EDCE) and full width at half maximum (FWHM) approaches. Both methods were applied to a database of segmental and subsegmental bronchi with LA > 4 mm2 containing 42 bronchial segments of 10 successive slices that best matched on each acquisition. For both methods, the 95% confidence interval between repeated MDCT was between –1.59 and 1.5 mm2 for LA, and –3.31 and 2.96 mm2 for WA. The values of the coefficient of measurement variation (CV10, i.e., percentage ratio of the standard deviation obtained from the 10 successive slices to their mean value) were strongly correlated between repeated MDCT data acquisitions (r > 0.72; p < 0.0001). Compared with FWHM, LA values obtained using EDCE were higher for LA < 15 mm2, whereas WA values were lower for bronchi with WA < 13 mm2; no systematic EDCE underestimation or overestimation was observed for thicker-walled bronchi. In conclusion, variability between CT examinations and assessment techniques may impair measurements. Therefore, new parameters such as CV10 need to be investigated to study bronchial remodeling. Finally, EDCE and FWHM are not interchangeable in longitudinal studies.

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Abbreviations

EDCE:

energy-driven contour estimation

FWHM:

full width at half maximum

CT:

computed tomography

MDCT:

multidetector-row computed tomography

LA:

lumen area

WA:

wall area

CV10 :

coefficient of variation of bronchial measurements, defined as the ratio of the standard deviation of measurements obtained on 10 successive slices to their mean, multiplied by 100 and expressed as a percentage

SD:

standard deviation

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Acknowledgement

The authors thank Dr. M.-H. Becquemin and Prof. M. Zelter for their contribution to this work.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Université Paris XIII, UPRES EA 2363, Bobigny, France

    Pierre-Yves Brillet

  2. Service de Radiologie, Assistance Publique–Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Avicenne, Bobigny, France

    Pierre-Yves Brillet

  3. ARTEMIS Department, TELECOM & Management SudParis, Evry, France

    Catalin I. Fetita, Mihai Mitrea & Françoise Prêteux

  4. Laboratoire de Physiologie CCML, Le Plessis-Robinson, Université Paris XI, UPRES EA2397, Paris, France

    André Capderou

  5. Service de Radiothérapie Oncologique, Assistance Publique–Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Pitié–Salpêtrière, Paris, France

    Serge Dreuil & Jean-Marc Simon

  6. Service de Radiologie, Assistance Publique–Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Pitié–Salpêtrière, Paris, France

    Philippe A. Grenier

  7. Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche médicale U678, Université Pierre et Marie Curie–Paris VI, Paris, France

    Philippe A. Grenier

  8. Service de Radiologie, Hôpital Avicenne, 125, rue de Stalingrad, 93009, Bobigny Cedex, France

    Pierre-Yves Brillet

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  1. Pierre-Yves Brillet
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  2. Catalin I. Fetita
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Correspondence to Pierre-Yves Brillet.

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Brillet, PY., Fetita, C.I., Capderou, A. et al. Variability of bronchial measurements obtained by sequential CT using two computer-based methods. Eur Radiol 19, 1139–1147 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-008-1247-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-008-1247-8

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