PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Galletto Pregliasco, A.
AU  - Collin, A.
AU  - Guéguen, A.
AU  - Metten, M.A.
AU  - Aboab, J.
AU  - Deschamps, R.
AU  - Gout, O.
AU  - Duron, L.
AU  - Sadik, J.C.
AU  - Savatovsky, J.
AU  - Lecler, A.
TI  - Improved Detection of New MS Lesions during Follow-Up Using an Automated MR Coregistration-Fusion Method
AID  - 10.3174/ajnr.A5690
DP  - 2018 Jul 01
TA  - American Journal of Neuroradiology
PG  - 1226--1232
VI  - 39
IP  - 7
4099  - http://www.ajnr.org/content/39/7/1226.short
4100  - http://www.ajnr.org/content/39/7/1226.full
SO  - Am. J. Neuroradiol.2018 Jul 01; 39
AB  - BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: MR imaging is the key examination in the follow-up of patients with MS, by identification of new high-signal T2 brain lesions. However, identifying new lesions when scrolling through 2 follow-up MR images can be difficult and time-consuming. Our aim was to compare an automated coregistration-fusion reading approach with the standard approach by identifying new high-signal T2 brain lesions in patients with multiple sclerosis during follow-up MR imaging.MATERIALS AND METHODS: This prospective monocenter study included 94 patients (mean age, 38.9 years) treated for MS with dimethyl fumarate from January 2014 to August 2016. One senior neuroradiologist and 1 junior radiologist checked for new high-signal T2 brain lesions, independently analyzing blinded image datasets with automated coregistration-fusion or the standard scroll-through approach with a 3-week delay between the 2 readings. A consensus reading with a second senior neuroradiologist served as a criterion standard for analyses. A Poisson regression and logistic and γ regressions were used to compare the 2 methods. Intra- and interobserver agreement was assessed by the κ coefficient.RESULTS: There were significantly more new high-signal T2 lesions per patient detected with the coregistration-fusion method (7 versus 4, P < .001). The coregistration-fusion method detected significantly more patients with at least 1 new high-signal T2 lesion (59% versus 46%, P = .02) and was associated with significantly faster overall reading time (86 seconds faster, P < .001) and higher reader confidence (91% versus 40%, P < 1 × 10−4). Inter- and intraobserver agreement was excellent for counting new high-signal T2 lesions.CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed that an automated coregistration-fusion method was more sensitive for detecting new high-signal T2 lesions in patients with MS and reducing reading time. This method could help to improve follow-up care.CFcoregistration-fusionHST2high-signal T2IQRinterquartile range