Takayasu Arteriti Görüntülemesinde Bilgisayarlı Tomografi ve Manyetik Rezonans Görüntüleme Yöntemlerinde Gözlemciler ve Gözlemler Arası Uyumun Değerlendirilmesi

Abstract

Demirbas B., Interobserver and Intraobserver Variability of Computered Tomography and Magnetic Resonance Images in Takayasu Arteritis Patients, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Thesis of Radiology, Ankara, 2017. In Takayasu arteritis (TA), computered tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques have replaced conventional angiography by their capability of giving information about vessel wall pathologies as well as luminal changes and their easier way to perform, and are being used in diagnosis and follow up of the patients frequently. Clinical follow up of patients is prone to change due to imaging findings, so it is much more important to report these modalities in the right way. In this study, we aimed to assess the interobserver and intraobserver variability of CT and MRI images in TA patients. CT and MRI images of 99 TA patients (53 CT, 46 MRI) on the follow up of Hacettepe University Hospital Rheumatology Department, and 7 CT images of patients whom were evaluated for vasculitis and no vasculitis were detected, were evaluated by 4 radiologists as blinded. After that, randomly selected 6 CT and 5 MRI images of TA patients were re-evaluated. There was no intraobserver variability for any of the observers. There were interobserver variabilities in especially wall thickness and enhancement evaluations, much more seen in TA patients than non-vasculitidis patients. As a result, in TA patients, interobserver variabilities in evaluating CT and MRI images can be seen, and evaluation of images by specialists and assesing images according to defined criteriae rather than subjective assesments, may give more accurate results in diagnosis and follow up.