Detectability of category 3 or higher microcalcifications on digital mammograms: a comparative study between 5-MP color and monochrome liquid crystal display monitors

This study explored the detectability of category 3 or higher microcalcifications using 5-MP color and monochrome monitors. Contrast detail mammography phantom with polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) images were observed in color and monochrome by five radiographers, and the image quality figures (IQF) were calculated based on the gold disc locations identified. Five radiographers and two radiologists observed 200 mammograms from 100 patients (including 36 with microcalcifications) and rated the microcalcifications. The results were analyzed using area under the curve (AUC) and jackknife resampling. A paired t test was used for statistical analysis (p < 0.05). The mean IQF of color and monochrome monitors were 10.73 and 10.49 (30 mm PMMA, p = 0.653) and 8.47 and 8.74 (50 mm PMMA, p = 0.774), respectively. The mean AUC of color and monochrome monitors were 0.917 and 0.936 (p = 0.335), respectively, with windowing and magnification. The detectability of microcalcifications was not significantly different between the monitors.