MRI interpretation: impact of patient-reported symptoms

Between February and June 2019, Balza and colleagues recruited 120 participants (70 men, 50 women; median age 64) from patients referred for lumbar spine injections; the participants completed electronic symptom questionnaires before injections. Six radiologists diagnosed pain generators in three research arms: MRI studies reviewed with symptom information from questionnaires, MRI studies reviewed without symptom information and MRI reports.

According to the Massachusetts General Hospital researchers' results: "Radiologists' agreement with reference diagnoses for presumptive pain generator type, level, and side on lumbar spine MRI was almost perfect when knowing symptoms (κ=0.82-0.90), versus fair-moderate without symptom information (κ=0.28-0.51) (p < .001). Interreading agreement was almost perfect with symptoms (κ = 0.82-0.90), versus moderate without symptoms (κ=0.42-0.56) (p < .001)."

Diagnostic certainty levels were highest for radiologists performing injections - "significantly higher for MRI review with symptom information versus without symptom information, the authors of this AJR article added.

MEDICA-tradefair.com; Source: American Roentgen Ray Society