The Efficacy of CT Temporal Subtraction Images for Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate the usefulness of CT temporal subtraction (TS) images for detecting emerging or growing ectopic bone lesions in fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP). Materials and Methods: Four patients with FOP were retrospectively included in this study. TS images were produced by subtracting previously registered CT images from the current images. Two residents and two board-certified radiologists independently interpreted a pair of current and previous CT images for each subject with or without TS images. Changes in the visibility of the lesion, the usefulness of TS images for lesions with TS images, and the interpreter’s confidence level in their interpretation of each scan were assessed on a semiquantitative 5-point scale (0–4). The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare the evaluated scores between datasets with and without TS images. Results: The number of growing lesions tended to be larger than that of the emerging lesions in all cases. A higher sensitivity was found in residents and radiologists using TS compared to those not using TS. For all residents and radiologists, the dataset with TS tended to have more false-positive scans than the dataset without TS. All the interpreters recognized TS as useful, and confidence levels when using TS tended to be lower or the same as when not using TS for two residents and one radiologist. Conclusions: TS improved the sensitivity of all interpreters in detecting emerging or growing ectopic bone lesions in patients with FOP. TS could be applied further, including the areas of systematic bone disease.

Advances in Musculoskeletal Imaging and Their Applications

“…Study [22] aimed to ascertain the potential benefits of CT temporal subtraction (TS) images in enhancing the detection of developing or enlarging ectopic bone lesions among fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) patients. A retrospective analysis of four FOP patients was conducted.…”

Imaging of Pathologies of the Temporal Bone and Middle Ear: Inflammatory Diseases, Their Mimics and Potential Complications—Pictorial Review

“…There is a wide range of imaging methods for assessing the temporal bone. Due to the widespread use of cross-sectional imaging methods, computed tomography (CT) is the most used modality, not only for inflammatory changes, but also for tumors or preoperative imaging and visualization of anatomical structures [6][7][8]. Targeted X-rays in Schuller's, Stevener's, or Mayer's view are only used in rare cases.…”