Training of General Radiologists to Detect Silent Cerebral Infarcts in
Low-Middle Income Settings
Abstract
The probability of silent cerebral infarcts (SCIs) is high among
individuals with sickle cell anemia (SCA). The American Society of
Hematology’s (ASH) guidelines recommend at least one non-sedated
magnetic resonance image (MRI) in the SCA population. Implementing ASH
guidelines in low-middle-income settings requires training
non-neuroradiologists. We hypothesize that three general radiologists
located in Nigeria will achieve a high level of agreement when assessed
against a reference set of brain MRIs previously adjudicated for the
presence of SCIs. Consensus evaluation utilizing MRIs from the axial and
coronal planes by the radiologists revealed an excellent or substantial
agreement with reference MRI scans. Thus, radiologists can detect SCIs
comparable with board-certified radiologists.