Agreement between diagnostic imaging methods for the evaluation of lymphadenopathies in HIV-infected/AIDS patients / Concordância entre métodos de diagnóstico por imagem na avaliação de linfonodomegalias em pacientes HIV(+)/AIDS

ABSTRACT

Abstract Objective: To assess the percent agreement between diagnostic imaging modalities for the evaluation of lymphadenopathies in HIV-infected/AIDS patients. Materials and Methods: This was an open, comparative, prospective study of diagnostic imaging methods for lymphadenopathy evaluation. We evaluated 30 patients (19 men and 11 women). All underwent ultrasound and computed tomography (CT). Twenty of the patients also underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We determined the percent agreement between two examiners using the various imaging methods to evaluate lymphadenopathies. Results: CT had the highest percent agreement, at 93.3%, with a kappa coefficient of 0.85, corresponding to 28 of the 30 examinations. When we compared the percent agreement between the two examiners and between CT and ultrasound, examiner 1 had an observed rate of 80.0%, with a kappa of 0.49, corresponding to 24 of the 30 examinations, whereas examiner 2 had a rate of 70.0%, with a kappa of 0.31, corresponding to 21 of the 30 examinations. Between MRI and CT, the percent agreement for examiner 1 was 50.0%, with a kappa of −0.18, corresponding to 10 of the 20 examinations, whereas that for examiner 2 was 85.0%, with a kappa of 0.69, corresponding to 17 of the 20 examinations. For MRI and ultrasound, examiner 1 had a percent agreement of 70.0%, with a kappa of 0.20, corresponding to 14 of the 20 examinations, and examiner 2 had a percent agreement of 75.0%, with a kappa of 0.38, corresponding to 15 of the 20 examinations. Conclusion: This study indicates that intermethod agreement is highly dependent on the way in which the research is conducted, rather than on the level of experience of the examiner.

RESUMO

Resumo Objetivo: Avaliar a porcentagem de concordância entre métodos de diagnóstico por imagem na avaliação de linfonodomegalias em pacientes HIV(+)/AIDS. Materiais e Métodos: Foi realizado estudo aberto, comparativo e prospectivo dos métodos de diagnóstico por imagem na avaliação de linfonodomegalias. Foram avaliados 30 pacientes (19 homens e 11 mulheres). Todos foram submetidos a ultrassonografia e tomografia computadorizada (TC) e 20 também foram submetidos a ressonância magnética (RM). Foi determinado o grau de concordância entre dois examinadores usando-se métodos de diagnóstico por imagem. Resultados: A TC obteve o maior grau de concordância, com taxa de 28/30 (93,3%) e coeficiente kappa de 0,85. Quando comparado o grau de concordância para linfonodomegalias entre dois examinadores e entre TC e ultrassonografia, o examinador 1 teve taxa de 24/30 (80,0%) e kappa de 0,49, e o examinador 2 teve taxa de 21/30 (70,0%) e kappa de 0,31. Entre RM e TC, o examinador 1 teve taxa de 10/20 (50,0%) e kappa de -0,18, e o examinador 2 teve taxa de 17/20 (85,0%) e kappa de 0,69. Entre RM e ultrassonografia, o examinador 1 teve taxa de 14/20 (70,0%) e kappa de 0,20, e o examinador 2 teve taxa de 15/20 (75,0%) e kappa de 0,38. Conclusão: Este estudo indica que a concordância entre métodos depende fortemente da forma como a pesquisa é conduzida e não da capacidade do examinador.