Detection of Simulated Interstitial Lung Disease and Catheters with Selenium, Storage Phosphor, and Film-based Radiography

PURPOSE: To evaluate the diagnostic performance of storage phosphor and digital selenium radiography (DSR) with asymmetric and symmetric screen-film systems at different speeds in the detection of simulated interstitial lung disease and catheters. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patterns of simulated interstitial lung disease and catheters were superimposed over an anthropomorphic chest phantom. Hard-copy images were generated at DSR (200-, 400-, and 600-speed), storage phosphor radiography (200- and 400-speed), and asymmetric (400-speed) and symmetric (200- and 400-speed) screen-film imaging. Surface doses were measured, and receiver operating characteristic analyses were performed. RESULTS: No statistically significant differences were found between the detector systems with the same speeds for each interstitial pattern. Significantly poorer results were found at 600-speed DSR than at 200-speed DSR. Detection of catheters and nodules over high-attenuation areas was significantly worse with the symmetric screen-f...