PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Mauro Risio
AU  - Gianni Bussolati
AU  - Carlo Senore
AU  - Stefano Vigna
AU  - Elena Frangipane
AU  - Nereo Segnan
AU  - Paola Cassoni
TI  - Virtual microscopy for histology quality assurance of screen-detected polyps
AID  - 10.1136/jcp.2010.080580
DP  - 2010 Oct 01
TA  - Journal of Clinical Pathology
PG  - 916--920
VI  - 63
IP  - 10
4099  - http://jcp.bmj.com/content/63/10/916.short
4100  - http://jcp.bmj.com/content/63/10/916.full
SO  - J Clin Pathol2010 Oct 01; 63
AB  - Aim Histology quality assurance is crucial for screening programmes and can be performed by circulating glass slides, which has certain intrinsic disadvantages. The present study aimed to assess the accuracy of virtual microscopy in terms of reliability and diagnostic reproducibility in colorectal cancer screening programmes.Methods 457 consecutive lesions detected in people undergoing colonoscopy were examined histologically in two pathology units, using both traditional optical microscopy and virtual microscopy (6–12 months later). Intra- and inter-observer agreement using the two approaches was determined using κ statistics.Results Intra- and inter-observer agreements were substantially unmodified by the use of the virtual microscopy approach compared with traditional optical microscopy; moreover, for some histological features critical for patient management in colorectal cancer screening programmes (such as the presence of a villous component within the adenoma), virtual microscopy increased interobserver agreement (κ statistics 0.66 versus 0.52).Conclusions This study shows that virtual microscopy can be an effective tool for diagnostic quality assurance in colorectal cancer screening programmes, and its accuracy is equivalent to or higher than that of optical microscopy in the validation of histological criteria (eg, advanced adenoma) crucial for patient management in screening programmes.