Emphysema progression is visually detectable in low-dose CT in continuous but not in former smokers

Objectives To evaluate interobserver agreement and time-trend in chest CT assessment of emphysema, airways, and interstitial abnormalities in a lung cancer screening cohort. Methods Visual assessment of baseline and fifth-year examination of 1990 participants was performed independently by two observers. Results were standardised by means of an electronic score sheet; kappa and time-trend analyses were performed. Results Interobserver agreement was substantial in early emphysema diagnosis; highly significant (p