American Journal of Roentgenology, Vol 145, Issue 3, 551-553
Copyright © 1985 by American Roentgen Ray Society
The radiologic detection of duodenal ulcers: effects of examiner variability, ulcer size and location, and technique
DW Gelfand,
WJ Dale,
DJ Ott,
WC Wu,
and
I Meschan
Study of 91 endoscopically verified duodenal ulcers compared the effects of examiner variability, ulcer size and location, and radiographic technique on ulcer detection. Radiologic sensitivity of 61.5% was found for the entire group of 91 ulcers. Examiner variability was the strongest determinant of success; sensitivities for individual examiners ranged from 44.4% to 80%. Ulcer size was a second factor in radiologic detectability; ulcers 5 mm or larger were detected at a higher rate (80.0%) than those less than 5 mm (64.5%). Sensitivities of 65.9% and 57.4% were recorded for single- and double-contrast examinations, respectively, a statistically insignificant difference.