Clinical Differentiation with the Spiral Aftereffect Technique

1970 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 995-999 ◽  
Author(s):  
John E. Obrzut ◽  
Roger C. Thweatt

The spiral aftereffect (SAE) apparatus was administered to 100 Ss, 50 independently medically diagnosed organic patients and 50 normals matched in sex and age to the first group. Each S was given standard instructions for six trials of 30-sec. exposure time. Variables, such as rate and direction of rotation, lighting intensity, light adaptation, etc., were controlled for all Ss. Scores and percentage computations of Ss in the various diagnostic groups indicate that the spiral aftereffect test has significantly differentiated between cases of organic brain damage and those who are normal ( χ2 = 42.2, p < .01, df = 1). No differences were shown between infectious vs noninfectious organics and convulsive vs nonconvulsive organics. However, there was a significant difference between prenatal organics and postnatal organics (χ2 = 21.4, P < .01, df = 1). For the entire group there were 32% false negative classifications and 8% false positive classifications.

2013 ◽  
Vol 137 (12) ◽  
pp. 1770-1773 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew A. Renshaw ◽  
Edwin W. Gould

Context.—Previous studies have shown that there are disagreements in interlaboratory consultation, including false-negative and false-positive diagnoses. To date, methods to reduce false-negative and false-positive diagnoses have been poorly documented. Objective.—To identify features associated with false-negative and false-positive diagnoses in anatomic pathology. Design.—We reviewed the results of interlaboratory consultation in our institution during a 9-year period. For false-negative and false-positive diagnoses, methods that might have prevented the error were identified. Results.—Disagreements were identified in 810 of 8082 consults (10%). Fifty-four false-negative cases (0.7% of all consults) and 27 false-positive cases (0.3%) were identified. False-negative cases were more common in breast (20 of 1131; 1.8%), genitourinary (16 of 970; 1.7%), hematologic (3 of 242; 1.3%), and cytology (3 of 404; 0.8%) than in all other sites combined (P &lt; .001); no significant difference in sites were identified for false-positive cases. Overall, there was no difference in the percentage of cases that were reviewed by more than one pathologist in either false-negative cases (109 of 810; 13.5%) or false-positive cases (135 of 810; 16.7%), compared with all other consults (858 of 7272; 11.8%) (P = .74 and .59, respectively). However, on review, 12 of all 27 false-positive cases (44%) might have been prevented by the use of immunohistochemistry alone, and 36 of all 54 false-negative cases (67%) might have been prevented by the use of a second review; special stains, including immunohistochemistry; additional levels; changes in processing; and hedges. Conclusion.—Approximately one-half of false-negative and false-positive cases (48 of 81; 59%) might be preventable by the use of a combination of pathologic methods.


2009 ◽  
Vol 150 (47) ◽  
pp. 2133-2138
Author(s):  
Zsuzsa Molnár ◽  
Zsófia Simon ◽  
Zita Borbényi ◽  
Beáta Deák ◽  
LászLÓ Galuska ◽  
...  

In the past few decades Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) has become a highly curable malignant disease, as a result of using modern polychemotherapy and irradiation. Differentiation of active tumor from fibrosis or necrosis within residual radiographic masses represents a problem of interpretation. Aims: The aim of this retrospective study is to assess the value of FDG-PET for prediction of remission or relapse in HL. Patients and methods: Data of 128 patients, who had residual masses on CT after completion of their planned treatment, have been analyzed. FDG-PET was performed between January 1995 and February 2005. Results: The median duration of the follow-up from PET was 75.5 months (range: 20–180 months). 89 (70%) patients had negative and 39 (30%) patients had positive FDG-PET results. The numbers of true-positive, true-negative, false-positive and false-negative subjects were 29, 83, 10 and 6, respectively. Sensitivity of post-treatment FDG-PET was 83%, specificity 93%, positive predictive value 74%, negative predictive value 93%, and accuracy 88%. The difference between the event free survival of PET positive and negative cases is highly significant (p = 0.0000), according to the Mantel-Cox test. Conclusion: Our results, in accordance with literature, clearly indicate that patients with negative FDG-PET results are unlikely to progress or relapse during a long follow-up. However, false positive uptake is a problem. We have investigated the effect of age, histological subtype, clinical stage and the type of treatment on the accuracy, but on the basis of these facts we could not find any significant difference. However, the date of the investigation influenced the results: before 2000 the number of false results was significantly higher than after that time, which shows the importance of investigators’ experience.


1975 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 99-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann Blankenhorn ◽  
George Cerbus

This study examined the effects of type of training and level of education on clinical judgment, as demonstrated in “clinical” and “actuarial” evaluation of the Graham-Kendall Memory-for-Designs (1960). Protocols of 6 organic and 6 non-organic patients matched for age and IQ were evaluated by 18 judges. Nine of the judges were psychologists and nine had degrees in some field other than psychology. In each group 3 judges had PhDs, 3 had Master's degrees, and 3 had Bachelor's degrees. There was no significant difference ( p > .01) between the 2 groups in clinical or actuarial diagnoses of brain damage regardless of level of education, and inter-rater reliability was all but identical. Results were consistent with other research on clinical judgment.


1998 ◽  
Vol 36 (6) ◽  
pp. 1601-1603 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick R. Murray ◽  
Gary E. Hollick ◽  
Robert C. Jerris ◽  
Michael L. Wilson

The overall recovery of organisms and time to detection with the BACTEC 9050 and BACTEC 9240 systems were compared in a multicenter evaluation. In the first phase of the study, a total of 4,383 compliant aerobic (Plus Aerobic/F) blood culture sets were processed. There was no significant difference in the recovery of individual groups of organisms with the two systems, with the exception ofStreptococcus pneumoniae which was isolated more frequently with BACTEC 9050. False-positive signals occurred more often with BACTEC 9240 (58 cultures) than with BACTEC 9050 (43 cultures), but false-negative cultures were uncommon with both systems (3 cultures for each system). Time to detection of positive cultures of clinically significant organisms was essentially the same with both instruments. In the second phase of the study, 2,431 compliant anaerobic (Plus Anaerobic/F) blood culture sets were processed. There was no significant difference in the recovery of organisms with BACTEC 9050 compared with BACTEC 9240. Significantly (P < 0.03) more false-positive signals occurred with BACTEC 9240 (15 cultures) than with BACTEC 9050 (4 cultures). Likewise, more false-negative cultures occurred with BACTEC 9240 (11 cultures) than with BACTEC 9050 (8 cultures). Time to detection of positive cultures of clinically significant organisms was essentially the same with both systems with the exception of anaerobes (N = 10), which were recovered earlier (P < 0.01) with BACTEC 9240 (35.0 h) than with BACTEC 9050 (61.4 h).


2003 ◽  
Vol 42 (02) ◽  
pp. 71-77 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Schreivogel ◽  
C. Angerstein ◽  
U. Siefker ◽  
K. Lehmann ◽  
G. Altenvoerde ◽  
...  

SummaryAim: Formal and clinical comparison of a new 3rd-gene-ration-Tg-IRMA (3-G-IRMA; Dynotest®Tg-plus) with a conventional Tg-IRMA (3-G-IRMA; SELco®Tg-assay) for patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma. In addition we evaluated, if thyroglobulin (Tg) levels above a specific threshold concentration indicate the need for further investigations for residual disease. Patients, methods: Tg concentration of 105 sera of 93 consecutive patients with a differentiated thyroid cancer was determined with both assays and compared at different cut-off values (Dynotest®Tg-plus: 0.2, 1, 2 ng/ml; SELco®Tg-assay: 0.5, 1, 2 ng/ml) with the clinical results in respect to the corresponding TSH concentration. Results: Tg concentration did not show any significant difference (SELco®Tg-assay 0.5 ng/ml, Dynotest® Tg-plus 0.2 ng/ml). The Tg-values of both assays correlated with 97%. However, correlation of recovery in both assays was small (40%). The sensitivities and specificities of both assays at different cut-offs and TSH values did not reveal significant differences. In patients with TSH concentration >30 µU/ml the functional assay sensitivity was superior to arbitrary cut-offs in the decision to start further evaluations. Conclusions: In our study neither formal nor clinical significant differences between two Tg-assays were found. In a hypothyroid patient (TSH >30 µU/ml, Tg concentration exceeding the functional assay sensitivity) further investigations for residual disease are warranted. Higher thresholds are of limited value, due to a inacceptable high rate of false negative results.


1974 ◽  
Vol 31 (02) ◽  
pp. 273-278
Author(s):  
Kenneth K Wu ◽  
John C Hoak ◽  
Robert W Barnes ◽  
Stuart L Frankel

SummaryIn order to evaluate its daily variability and reliability, impedance phlebography was performed daily or on alternate days on 61 patients with deep vein thrombosis, of whom 47 also had 125I-fibrinogen uptake tests and 22 had radiographic venography. The results showed that impedance phlebography was highly variable and poorly reliable. False positive results were noted in 8 limbs (18%) and false negative results in 3 limbs (7%). Despite its being simple, rapid and noninvasive, its clinical usefulness is doubtful when performed according to the original method.


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