Visual assessment of pneumonic area in ovine lungs.

Twelve veterinarians were asked to estimate the percentage of lung surface that appeared consolidated in eleven projected colour transparencies of pneumonic ovine lungs. The estimates were compared to the pneumonic area measured by image analysis. Although all observers had some experience in veterinary pathology there was considerable variation between individuals in the accuracy of their estimates. Large lesions were underestimated and small lesions overestimated by most observers.