Impact of a structured quantitative program on [18F]FP-CIT PET interpretation: a multicenter study of diagnostic accuracy, interrater reliability, and reader confidence.

OBJECTIVES

This study assessed the impact of a structured quantitative analysis program on diagnostic performance, interrater reliability, and reader confidence in interpreting N-3-[18F]fluoropropyl-2β-carbomethoxy-3β-4-iodophenyl nortropane positron emission tomography ([18F]FP-CIT PET) scans to differentiate idiopathic Parkinson's disease from essential tremor-/drug-induced parkinsonism.

METHODS

This retrospective multicenter study included 637 patients who underwent [18F]FP-CIT PET and brain magnetic resonance imaging scans for evaluation of Parkinsonian syndromes at 4 institutions between January 2015 and October 2022. Readers evaluated the scans qualitatively in the pre-program session and with access to quantitative parameters in the post-program session, with a 1-month minimum interval to minimize recall bias. Diagnostic performance metrics (sensitivity, specificity, accuracy), interrater reliability (Cohen's κ), and reader confidence (low/moderate vs high) were compared.

RESULTS

Following program implementation, interrater reliability significantly improved from substantial to almost perfect (Cohen's κ: 0.768-0.970; P < .001), and a significant shift toward high-confidence ratings was observed (P < .001). Diagnostic accuracy also significantly improved from 92.8% to 94.3% (P = .036). Although the increase in the area under the curve (0.922-0.932) did not reach statistical significance (P = .163), likely due to a ceiling effect, reader performance significantly surpassed that of the quantitative parameter alone only after program implementation, whereas it was comparable at baseline.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that integrating quantitative analysis tools may improve diagnostic consistency and reliability in clinical practice.

ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE: The structured quantitative analysis program significantly improved [18F]FP-CIT PET/CT interpretation by increasing diagnostic accuracy, interrater reliability, and reader confidence.