Telemedicine in diagnostic pleural cytology: a feasibility study between

Telemedicine in diagnostic pleural cytology: a feasibility study between
universities in Iran and the USA.

Ayatollahi H, Khoei A, Mohammadian N, Sadeghian MH, Azari JB, Ghaemi MR, Khoob
MK. J Telemed Telecare. 2007;13(7):363-8.

Department of Biochemistry and Nutrition, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University
of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.

Abstract
We evaluated the concordance rate and diagnostic accuracy of digital cytology
slides reviewed by experienced pathologists at the University of Miami and the
Ohio State University in comparison with review of conventional glass slides by
the pathologist at the Mashhad University of Medical Sciences. In addition, we
evaluated interobserver reproducibility in telecytology diagnosis in pleural
effusion smears between Ohio State and Miami University. For this, we selected 50
pleural effusion smears with different diagnoses. For each case, digital images
were sent via the Internet to the consulting pathologists at the two US
universities. The accuracy of the telecytology diagnoses was 83% and 87% at the
two US universities and the accuracy of glass slide review was 89%. The
inter-observer reproducibility of telecytology diagnosis between these two
universities was 0.71. The concordance rate, inter-observer reproducibility and
diagnostic accuracy of telecytology diagnosis in pleural effusion smears between
the three institutions were good. Telecytology diagnosis of pleural effusion
smears is potentially useful in screening and diagnosis and may allow more
efficient use of scarce cytopathologist resources and expertise.

PMID: 17958939 [PubMed – in process]