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British Journal of Radiology 74 (2001),520-528 © 2001 The British Institute of Radiology

Full paper

Demonstration of correlations between clinical and physical image quality measures in chest and lumbar spine screen–film radiography

M Sandborg, PhD1,, A Tingberg, PhD2, D R Dance, PhD3, B Lanhede, MSc4, A Almén, PhD2, G McVey, BSc, MSc3, P Sund, MSc4, S Kheddache, PhD, MD5, J Besjakov, MD, PhD6, S Mattsson, PhD2, L G Månsson, PhD4 and G Alm Carlsson, PhD1

1Department of Radiation Physics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Linköping University, SE 581 85 Linköping, Sweden, Departments of 2Radiation Physics and 6Diagnostic Radiology at Malmö, Lund University, Malmö University Hospital, SE 205 02 Malmö, Sweden, 3Joint Department of Physics, The Royal Marsden NHS Trust, Fulham Road, London SW3 6JJ, UK, and Departments of 4Radiation Physics and 5Radiology, Göteborg University, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, SE 413 45 Göteborg, Sweden

The ability to predict clinical image quality from physical measures is useful for optimization in diagnostic radiology. In this work, clinical and physical assessments of image quality are compared and correlations between the two are derived. Clinical assessment has been made by a group of expert radiologists who evaluated fulfilment of the European image criteria for chest and lumbar spine radiography using two scoring methods: image criteria score (ICS) and visual grading analysis score (VGAS). Physical image quality measures were calculated using a Monte Carlo simulation model of the complete imaging system. This model includes a voxelized male anatomy and was used to calculate contrast and signal-to-noise ratio of various important anatomical details and measures of dynamic range. Correlations between the physical image quality measures on the one hand and the ICS and VGAS on the other were sought. 16 chest and 4 lumbar spine imaging system configurations were compared in frontal projection. A statistically significant correlation with clinical image quality was found in chest posteroanterior radiography for the contrast of blood vessels in the retrocardiac area and a measure of useful dynamic range. In lumbar spine anteroposterior radiography, a similar significant correlation with clinical image quality was found between the contrast and signal-to-noise ratio of the trabecular structures in the L1–L5 vertebrae. The significant correlation shows that clinical image quality can, at least in some cases, be predicted from appropriate measures of physical image quality.






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