COMPUTERIZED CASE-BASED INSTRUCTIONAL-SYSTEM FOR COMPUTED-TOMOGRAPHY AND MAGNETIC-RESONANCE-IMAGING OF BRAIN-TUMORS

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES. A computerized system that applies the case-based approach to training radiologists to diagnose brain tumors was designed. The authors attempted to provide residents a tool that supports their visual memory and inducts case-based reasoning. METHODS. A relational database with a digital image library was implemented and incorporated into a computer aided instruction environment based on ease presentation. An indexing system was structured around case features (case history and radiologic findings). ''If-then'' type rules were used to control the search direction within the case library and to generate lists of diagnostic hypotheses. The indexing system was evaluated against cases ''known'' to the system. RESULTS. The current case library consists of 122 cases with 640 digitized images (computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging). The accuracy of retrieval for ''known'' to the system cases was 80.7%. CONCLUSIONS. A case library stored on a personal computer can be efficiently searched for a combination of radiologic findings and can offer quality images for comparison to the case in question. A case library is a source of the information that may be used by different teaching applications.