Research Article | Volume 3 Issue 11 (2025) | Published in 2025-08-11
Interobserver And Intraobserver Variability in CT Scan Reporting Of Liver Hydatid Cyst Staging And Location.
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Abstract
ABSTRACT
A serious health concern in endemic regions, hydatid disease of the liver is a parasitic infection brought on by Echinococcus species. The diagnosis, staging, and location of the disease are all made possible by computed tomography (CT), which also helps with treatment planning and better results. Nevertheless, the dependence of trustworthy imaging results is hampered by the lack of sufficient evidence about the reliability of CT evaluations across various observers. The purpose of this study was to assess the level of intraobserver and interobserver agreement in the identification and classification of liver hydatid cysts using CT scans. Additionally, it aimed to ascertain how observer experience affected the assessment's degree of agreement. 150 patients with proven hepatic hydatid disease were included in a retrospective analysis. In order to categorize cysts using the WHO Informal Working Group on Echinococcus (WHO-IWGE) classification method and record their precise locations in the liver, three radiologists with different levels of experience independently examined CT scans. The same radiologists reassessed the pictures four weeks later to assess intraobserver concordance. Cohen's coefficient (κ) and the internal correlation coefficient (ICC) were used to examine concordance. For cyst staging, interobserver concordance was typically good (Fleiss' κ = 0.72), and for placement, it was excellent (Fleiss' κ = 0.88). With average κ values of 0.85 for staging and 0.92 for location, concordance within the same observer was considerably greater. The two-stage cysts CE5 (inactive calcification) and CE2 (multi-vesicular cysts) showed the best concordance, although the transitional stage CE3 had only moderate concordance (κ = 0.52). Specialists with more expertise showed higher concordance (κ = 0.81) than those with less experience (κ = 0.63). The study's findings show that CT offers good concordance for locating hepatic cysts. However, depending on the stage and the observer's experience, the accuracy of cyst stage classification varies. In order to increase the reliability of imaging results in the treatment of hepatic hydatid disease, the results highlight the significance of developing uniform interpretation criteria and offering specialized training to enhance assessment accuracy and decrease variability between readings.
Keywords: Hydatid Cyst; Ct Imaging; Interobserver Variability; Intraobserver Variability.
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References
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Article history_en
Received : Nov 01, 2025
Revised : Nov 03, 2025
Accepted : Nov 29, 2025
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Authors Affiliations_en
FIRAS ABDULLAH NOORI AL-BAGHDADI
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Ethics declarations_en
Acknowledgment None Author Contribution All authors contributed equally to the main contributor to this paper. All authors read and approved the final paper. Conflicts of Interest “The authors declare no conflict of interest.” Funding “This research received no external funding”
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