Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Comparison of semi-automated and manual methods to measure the volume of liver tumours on MDCT images

  • Hepatobiliary-Pancreas
  • Published:
European Radiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objective

To retrospectively compare semi-automated and manual volume measurements of malignant liver tumours and inter- and intra-observer variability using commercially available software.

Methods

This study was performed on 60 consecutive patients with untreated liver metastases (30) and HCCs (30), i.e. 92 lesions (49 metastases, 43 HCCs) using hepatic MDCT. Lesion volumes were manually measured independently by two radiologists and semi-automatically by the same two radiologists and a technician. Those measurements were repeated on 20 patients (10 metastases and 10 HCCs) a week later. An independent operator timed all the measurements. Using the Spearman correlation coefficient and Bland-Altman plots, statistical analyses were performed.

Results

Liver lesion volumes obtained with semi-automated and manual methods were well correlated (Spearman, r = 0.98 and 0.91). Their agreement was high for intra-observer measurements with the semi-automated method (Spearman, r = 0.91 and 0.94). The agreement was lower for inter-observer measurements with both methods (Spearman, r = 0.87 for semi-automated and 0.91 for manual). The semi-automated method significantly reduced the post-processing duration (23s ± 19s vs. 33s ± 11s, p value <0.0001).

Conclusion

In our study, semi-automated volume analysis of malignant liver tumours correlated well with the manual method. Furthermore, the semi-automated volume analysis was significantly quicker.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Miller AB, Hoogstraten B, Staquet M, Winkler A (1981) Reporting results of cancer treatment. Cancer 47:207–214

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. James K, Eisenhauer E, Christian M, Terenziani M, Vena D, Muldal A, Therasse P (1999) Measuring response in solid tumors: unidimensional versus bidimensional measurement. J Natl Cancer Inst 91:523–528

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Therasse P, Arbuck SG, Eisenhauer EA, Wanders J, Kaplan RS, Rubinstein L, Verweij J, Van Glabbeke M, van Oosterom AT, Christian MC, Gwyther SG (2000) New guidelines to evaluate the response to treatment in solid tumors. European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer, National Cancer Institute of the United States, National Cancer Institute of Canada. J Natl Cancer Inst 92:205–216

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Eisenhauer E, Therasse P, Bogaerts J, Schwartz L (2009) New response evaluation criteria in solid tumours: revised RECIST guideline (version 1.1). Eur J Cancer 45:228–247

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Prasad SR, Jhaveri KS, Saini S, Hahn PF, Halpern EF, Sumner JE (2002) CT tumor measurement for therapeutic response assessment: comparison of unidimensional, bidimensional, and volumetric techniques initial observations. Radiology 225:416–419

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Sargenta DJ, Rubinstein L, Schwartz L et al (2009) Validation of novel imaging methodologies for use as cancer clinical trial end-points. Eur J Cancer 45:290–299

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Keil S, Bruners P, Ohnsorge L, Plumhans C (2010) Semiautomated versus manual evaluation of liver metastases treated by radiofrequency ablation. J Vasc Interv Radiol 21:245–251

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Keil S, Behrendt FF, Stanzel S et al (2008) Semi-automated measurement of hyperdense, hypodense and heterogeneous hepatic metastasis on standard MDCT slices. Comparison of semi-automated and manual measurement of RECIST and WHO criteria. Eur Radiol 18:2456–2465

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Bruix J, Sherman M (2005) Practice Guidelines Committee, American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases. Management of hepatocellular carcinoma. Hepatology 42:1208–1236

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Erasmus JJ (2003) Interobserver and intraobserver variability in measurement of non-small cell carcinoma lung lesions: implication for assessment of tumor response. J Clin Oncol 21:2574–2582

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Wormanns D, Kohl G, Klotz E (2004) Volumetric measurements of pulmonary nodules at multi-row detector CT: in vivo reproducibility. Eur Radiol 14:86–92

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Marten K, Auer F, Schmidt S (2006) Inadequacy of manual measurements compared to automated CT volumetry in assessment of treatment response of pulmonary metastases using RECIST criteria. Eur Radiol 16:781–790

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Fabel M, von Tengg-Kobligk H, Giesel FL (2008) Semi-automated volumetric analysis of lymph node metastases in patients with malignant melanoma stage III/IV—a feasibility study. Eur Radiol 18:1114–1122

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Meier S, Schenk A, Mildenberger P, Bourquain H, Pitton M, Thelen M (2004) Evaluation of a new software tool for the automatic volume calculation of hepatic tumors. First results. Fortschr Röntgenstr 176:234–238

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Assistance Publique des Hôpitaux de Paris, APHP, Department of Radiology, Hôpital Beaujon, 100 bd du Général Leclerc, 92110, Clichy, France

    Léna Dubus, Mathilde Gayet, Magaly Zappa, Liliane Abaleo, Aurélie De Cooman & Valérie Vilgrain

  2. GE HealthCare, Buc, France

    Guillaume Orieux

  3. Université Paris7 Denis Diderot, 75018, Paris, France

    Valérie Vilgrain

  4. INSERM Centre de recherche Biomédicale Bichat Beaujon, CRB3 U773, 75018, Paris, France

    Valérie Vilgrain

Authors
  1. Léna Dubus
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Mathilde Gayet
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Magaly Zappa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Liliane Abaleo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Aurélie De Cooman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Guillaume Orieux
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Valérie Vilgrain
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Valérie Vilgrain.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Dubus, L., Gayet, M., Zappa, M. et al. Comparison of semi-automated and manual methods to measure the volume of liver tumours on MDCT images. Eur Radiol 21, 996–1003 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-010-2013-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-010-2013-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation