Interobserver and intraobserver reliabilities of multislice electrocardiogram-gated spiral computerized tomography in evaluating aortic atheroma in patients with acute ischemic stroke

Objective: The objective of this study was to demonstrate the reliability of cardiac-gated computerized tomography (CGCT) in diagnosing aortic atheroma in patients with ischemic stroke. Materials and Methods: Two radiologists each read 32 CGCT studies and estimated aortic atheroma and interreliability/intrareliability measures. Results: The intraobserver intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were 0.95 and 0.87 for the diagnosis of aortic atheroma with CGCT. The interrater ICC was 0.93. Conclusion: This prospective study demonstrated that CGCT is a reliable imaging modality with good interreader and intrareader reproducibilities.