Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 30, 2026
Modeling Brain Metastases Through Intracranial Injection and Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Published on: June 7, 2020
Optimal presentation modes for detecting brain tumor progression
B J Erickson1, C P Wood, T J Kaufmann
1Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA. bje@mayo.edu
Background And Purpose:
A common task in radiology interpretation is visual comparison of images. The purpose of this study was to compare traditional side-by-side and in-place (flicker) image presentation modes with advanced methods for detecting primary brain tumors on MR imaging.
Materials And Methods:
We identified 66 patients with gliomas and 3 consecutive brain MR imaging examinations (a "triplet"). A display application that presented images in side-by-side mode with or without flicker display as well as display of image subtraction or automated change detection information (also with and without flicker display) was used by 3 board-certified neuroradiologists. They identified regions of brain tumor progression by using this display application. Each case was reviewed using all modes (side-by-side presentation with and without flicker, subtraction with and without flicker, and change detection with and without flicker), with results compared via a panel rating.
Results:
Automated change detection with or without flicker (P < .0027) as well as subtraction with or without flicker (P < .0027) were more sensitive to tumor progression than side-by-side presentation in cases where all 3 raters agreed. Change detection afforded the highest interrater agreement, followed by subtraction. Clinically determined time to progression was longer for cases rated as nonprogressing by using subtraction images and change-detection images both with and without flicker display mode compared with side-by-side presentation.
Conclusions:
Automated change detection and image subtraction, with and without flicker display mode, are superior to side-by-side image comparison.
