B A Thiel1, C M Bark2, J G Nakibali3, F van der Kuyp4, J L Johnson1. 1. Tuberculosis Research Unit, Department of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University and University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Uganda-Case Western Reserve University Research Collaboration, Kampala, Uganda. 2. Tuberculosis Research Unit, Department of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University and University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Uganda-Case Western Reserve University Research Collaboration, Kampala, Uganda, Division of Infectious Diseases, MetroHealth Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA. 3. Uganda-Case Western Reserve University Research Collaboration, Kampala, Uganda. 4. Division of Infectious Diseases, MetroHealth Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
Abstract
SETTING: Chest radiographs (CXRs) are widely used for diagnosing pulmonary TB and assessing response to therapy. The Timika X-ray score has been proposed as a tool for measuring disease severity and predicting treatment outcome. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate inter- and intra-reader agreement of Timika scores and assess the ability of the score to predict microbiologic outcome at 2 months. DESIGN: Analytical validation study. Disease severity was measured by two readers using pretreatment radiographs and follow-up films taken at 2, 6 and 12 months after the start of treatment among 110 human immunodeficiency virus negative adults with pulmonary TB. One fourth of the films were reread to assess intra-reader agreement. RESULTS: The two-component Timika score had high inter- and intra-reader agreement (intraclass correlation (ICC)inter = 75%, ICCintra > 0.81). Baseline Timika score was associated with positive month 2 smear (P = 0.0004) and culture status (P = 0.03). The average Timika score declined significantly over the course of successful treatment. CONCLUSION: The Timika score showed good inter- and intra-reader agreement and a significant association with microbiological outcomes after 2 months of treatment. The results of this study strengthen the evidence supporting the use of the Timika score for measuring disease severity on CXR.
SETTING: Chest radiographs (CXRs) are widely used for diagnosing pulmonary TB and assessing response to therapy. The Timika X-ray score has been proposed as a tool for measuring disease severity and predicting treatment outcome. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate inter- and intra-reader agreement of Timika scores and assess the ability of the score to predict microbiologic outcome at 2 months. DESIGN: Analytical validation study. Disease severity was measured by two readers using pretreatment radiographs and follow-up films taken at 2, 6 and 12 months after the start of treatment among 110 human immunodeficiency virus negative adults with pulmonary TB. One fourth of the films were reread to assess intra-reader agreement. RESULTS: The two-component Timika score had high inter- and intra-reader agreement (intraclass correlation (ICC)inter = 75%, ICCintra > 0.81). Baseline Timika score was associated with positive month 2 smear (P = 0.0004) and culture status (P = 0.03). The average Timika score declined significantly over the course of successful treatment. CONCLUSION: The Timika score showed good inter- and intra-reader agreement and a significant association with microbiological outcomes after 2 months of treatment. The results of this study strengthen the evidence supporting the use of the Timika score for measuring disease severity on CXR.
Authors: Alfonso C Hernandez-Romieu; Brent P Little; Adam Bernheim; Marcos C Schechter; Susan M Ray; Destani Bizune; Russell Kempker Journal: Open Forum Infect Dis Date: 2019-06-24 Impact factor: 3.835