MRI Compared with Low-Dose CT for Incidental Lung Nodule Detection in COPD: A Multicenter Trial

Purpose: To investigate morphofunctional chest MRI for the detection and management of incidental pulmonary nodules in partici-pants with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Materials and Methods: In this prospective study, 567 participants (mean age, 66 years +/- 9 [SD]; 340 men) underwent same-day contrast -enhanced MRI and nonenhanced low-dose CT (LDCT) in a nationwide multicenter trial (clinicaltrials.gov: NCT01245933). Nodule dimensions, morphologic features, and Lung Imaging Reporting and Data System (Lung-RADS) category were assessed at MRI by two blinded radiologists, and consensual LDCT results served as the reference standard. Comparisons were performed using the Student t test, and agreements were assessed using the Cohen weighted kappa. ' Results: A total of 525 nodules larger than 3 mm in diameter were detected at LDCT in 178 participants, with a mean diameter of 7.2 mm +/- 6.1 (range, 3.1-63.1 mm). Nodules were not detected in the remaining 389 participants. Sensitivity and positive predictive values with MRI for readers 1 and 2, respectively, were 63.0% and 84.8% and 60.2% and 83.9% for solid nodules (n = 495), 17.6% and 75.0% and 17.6% and 60.0% for part-solid nodules (n = 17), and 7.7% and 100% and 7.7% and 50.0% for ground-glass nod-ules (n = 13). For nodules 6 mm or greater in diameter, sensitivity and positive predictive values were 73.3% and 92.2% for reader 1 and 71.4% and 93.2% for reader 2, respectively. Readers underestimated the long-axis diameter at MRI by 0.5 mm +/- 1.7 (reader 1) and 0.5 mm +/- 1.5 (reader 2) compared with LDCT (P < .001). For Lung-RADS categorization per nodule using MRI, there was substantial to perfect interreader agreement (kappa = 0.75-1.00) and intermethod agreement compared with LDCT (kappa = 0.70-1.00 and 0.69-1.00). Conclusion: In a multicenter setting, morphofunctional MRI showed moderate sensitivity for detection of incidental pulmonary nod-ules in participants with COPD but high agreement with LDCT for Lung-RADS classification of nodules. Clinical trial registration no. NCT01245933 and NCT02629432