Prevalence and type of errors in dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry

• DOI: 10.1007/s00330-014-3509-y
• Publication Date: 2014-12-01T18:58:10Z
• Authors: Carmelo Messina; Michele Bandirali; Luca Maria Sconfi...; Nathascja Katia D...; Giovanni Di Leo; Giacomo Davide Ed...; Fabio Massimo Uli...; Francesco Sardanelli
• Keywords: Demographics; Neuroradiology; Dual energy; Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry; Interventional radiology

Pitfalls in dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) are common. Our aim was to assess rate and type of errors in DXA examinations/reports, evaluating a consecutive series of DXA images of patients examined elsewhere and later presenting to our institution for a follow-up DXA.After ethics committee approval, a radiologist retrospectively reviewed all DXA images provided by patients presenting at our institution for a new DXA. Errors were categorized as patient positioning (PP), data analysis (DA), artefacts and/or demographics.Of 2,476 patients, 1,198 had no previous DXA, while 793 had a previous DXA performed in our institution. The remaining 485 (20 %) patients entered the study (38 men and 447 women; mean age ± standard deviation, 68 ± 9 years). Previous DXA examinations were performed at a total of 37 centres. Of 485 reports, 451 (93 %) had at least one error out of a total of 558 errors distributed as follows: 441 (79 %) were DA, 66 (12 %) PP, 39 (7 %) artefacts and 12 (2 %) demographics.About 20 % of patients did not undergo DXA at the same institution as previously. More than 90 % of DXA presented at least one error, mainly of DA. International Society for Clinical Densitometry guidelines are very poorly adopted.• More than 90 % of DXA examinations/reports presented one or more errors. • About 80 % of errors are related to image data analysis. • Errors in DXA examinations may have potential implications for patients' management.