Radiology, Vol 138, 723-726, Copyright © 1981 by Radiological Society of North America
Scintigraphic diagnosis of cirrhosis: a receiver operator characteristic analysis of the common interpretative criteria
TR Simon, RL Neumann, F Gorelick, C Riely, P Hoffer and A Goffschalk
Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) techniques were used to determine
relative importance of heterogeneity, bone marrow uptake, hepatomegaly,
splenomegaly, and focal lesions in the scintigraphic diagnosis of
cirrhosis, as well as to determine whether each of the criteria should be
used as an identifier (high sensitivity) or as a discriminator (high
specificity). Heterogeneity, splenomegaly, and bone marrow uptake were
found to be good identifiers of hepatic disease. However, heterogeneity was
found to be a poor discriminator for cirrhosis, splenomegaly showed some
value as a discriminator, and bone marrow uptake was found to be a reliable
discriminator for alcoholic liver disease. The presence of focal lesions
was a good discriminator for metastatic disease, and was not specific for
cirrhosis. Hepatomegaly also was not specific for cirrhosis. This method of
analysis provides a relatively simple method for assembling a hierarchical
guide to diagnostic criteria for the interpreting physician.
