Intra and inter-observer agreement on polyp detection in colon capsule endoscopy evaluations

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Medical Imaging
• Endoscopy

Background:

• Colon capsule endoscopy (CCE) is an emerging tool for colonic evaluation.
• Reproducibility of CCE findings remains largely unestablished.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the intra- and inter-observer agreement in interpreting colon capsule endoscopy videos.
• To assess the reliability of CCE for polyp detection and bowel cleansing assessment.

Main Methods:

• Forty-two CCE investigations were reviewed by three experts and two beginners.
• Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to determine agreement.
• Agreement levels were categorized as poor (<0.5), moderate (0.5-0.75), good (0.75-0.9), and excellent (>0.9).

Main Results:

• Poor agreement was observed for 'indication for a following colonoscopy' across all observers.
• Experts showed moderate agreement for large polyp detection and number of polyps, but poor agreement for bowel cleansing quality.
• Beginners demonstrated moderate agreement with experts on polyp detection.
• Intra-observer agreement was moderate to excellent for experts in polyp detection, but poor to moderate for bowel cleansing.
• Beginners showed poor to moderate intra-observer agreement for all variables.

Conclusions:

• A significant lack of agreement exists regarding the indication for follow-up colonoscopy based on CCE findings.
• High intra- and inter-observer agreement for polyp detection was found among experts.
• Moderate agreement was noted between beginners and experts for polyp detection.