Detection of simulated interstitial lung disease and catheters with selenium, storage phosphor, and film-based radiography.

Abstract

To evaluate the diagnostic performance of storage phosphor and digital selenium radiography (DSR) with asymmetric and symmetric screen-film systems at different speeds in the detection of simulated interstitial lung disease and catheters. Patterns of simulated interstitial lung disease and catheters were superimposed over an anthropomorphic chest phantom. Hard-copy images were generated at DSR (200-, 400-, and 600-speed), storage phosphor radiography (200- and 400-speed), and asymmetric (400-speed) and symmetric (200- and 400-speed) screen-film imaging. Surface doses were measured, and receiver operating characteristic analyses were performed. No statistically significant differences were found between the detector systems with the same speeds for each interstitial pattern. Significantly poorer results were found at 600-speed DSR than at 200-speed DSR. Detection of catheters and nodules over high-attenuation areas was significantly worse with the symmetric screen-film system than with the other detectors. The surface dose with the DSR system, without a grid, was about 50% less than that of the other detector systems, with grids, at the same speed. No significant difference was found in the diagnostic performance at DSR, storage phosphor radiography, and film-based radiography for simulated interstitial lung disease at corresponding speeds; there was a reduction in the surface dose of about 50% with the 400-speed DSR system.