Summary
Digital images can be evaluated on monitor or hardcopy. Various hardcopy sizes are supplied by manufacturers. Reducing hardcopy size decreases film costs and image noise but diagnostic peformance may be degraded.
We compared 40 x 35cm film/screen radiographs with isodose digital storage phosphor radiographs (FCR-901, 1744 x 2144 x 10bit matrix) in the detection of simulated nodules, fine pulmonary lines and micronodular opacities superimposed on the chests of ten healthy volunteers. The digital radiographs were laser-printed at full matrix size in four currently commercially available image formats: One was equivalent to conventional film size while the other three formats were reduced by factors 2, 4, and 5 as compared to the conventional standard. 18.000 observations by 8 radiologists were analysed according to ROC. Significance of differences was tested by an analysis of variance (p<0.05).
No significant differences were found for the detection of nodules. In comparison to the conventional standard, the detection of pulmonary lines and micronodular opacities significantly decreased with the two smallest image formats. We conclude that reduction of display size by factors ≥ 4 degrades diagnostic performance in the detection of small structures.
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© 1991 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
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Schaefer, C.M. et al. (1991). Observer Performance as a Function of Hardcopy Size. In: Lemke, H.U., Rhodes, M.L., Jaffe, C.C., Felix, R. (eds) Computer Assisted Radiology / Computergestützte Radiologie. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-00807-2_22
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-00807-2_22
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
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