Ultralow dose CT for follow-up of solid pulmonary nodules: A pilot single-center study using Bland-Altman analysis

Medicine (Baltimore). 2018 Aug;97(34):e12019. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000012019.

Abstract

Solid pulmonary nodules are a common finding requiring serial computed tomography (CT) imaging. We sought to explore the detection and measurement accuracy of an ultralow-dose CT (ULDCT) protocol compared with our standard low-dose CT (LDCT) nodule follow-up protocol.In this pragmatic single-center pilot prospective cohort study, patients scheduled for clinically indicated CT surveillance of 1 or more known solid pulmonary nodules >2 mm underwent ULDCT immediately after routine LDCT. The Bland-Altman 95% limits of agreement for diameter and volumetry were calculated.In all, 57 patients underwent 60 imaging episodes, with 170 evaluable nodules. ULDCT detected all known solid pulmonary nodules >2 mm. Bland-Altman analyses demonstrated clinically agreement for both nodule diameter and volume, both of which fell within prespecified limits.This single-center pilot study suggests that ULDCT may be of use in surveillance of known solid pulmonary nodules >2 mm.

Publication types

  • Pragmatic Clinical Trial

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Lung Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Multiple Pulmonary Nodules / diagnostic imaging*
  • Pilot Projects
  • Prospective Studies
  • Radiation Dosage
  • Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / methods*
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Solitary Pulmonary Nodule / diagnostic imaging*
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed / methods*