Digital Breast Tomosynthesis: A Pilot Observer Study

OBJECTIVE. The objective of our study was to assess ergonomic and diagnostic performance–related issues associated with the interpretation of digital breast tomosynthesis–generated examinations.MATERIALS AND METHODS. Thirty selected cases were read under three different display conditions by nine experienced radiologists in a fully crossed, mode-balanced observer performance study. The reading modes included full-field digital mammography (FFDM) alone, the 11 low-dose projections acquired for the reconstruction of tomosynthesis images, and the reconstructed digital breast tomosynthesis examination. Observers rated cases under the free-response receiver operating characteristic, as well as a screening paradigm, and provided subjective assessments of the relative diagnostic value of the two digital breast tomosynthesis–based image sets as compared with FFDM. The time to review and diagnose each case was also evaluated.RESULTS. Observer performance measures were not statistically significant (p > 0.05) prima...