Diagnostic performance in differentiation of breast lesion on digital mammograms: comparison among hard-copy film, 3-megapixel LCD monitor, and 5-megapixel LCD monitor

We compared observer performance of digital mammography among hard-copy readings and soft-copy readings using 3-megapixel (3M) and 5-megapixel (5M) liquid crystal display (LCD) monitors. Five experienced radiologists assessed 80 mammograms of 40 cancers and 40 benign lesions. There were no significant differences among the average Az of three modalities and among the κ values for intra- and interobserver agreement. The soft-copy reading using the 3M LCD monitor took a slightly longer time, although there were no significant differences.