[Variability in the interpretation of coronary angiograms by different specialists based on data from the cooperative Coronary Artery Surgery Study].

Randomly selected cine arteriographic films of 30 diseased patients were read twice by each of three experienced observers. The intrareader variability was less than one-half of the interreader variability in reading the stenosis of segments of the coronary anatomy - a statistically significant difference (p less than 0.001). When extent of disease was evaluated by the number of diseased vessels, interreader variability was larger than intrareader variability (p less than 0.01). One reader read considerably less disease than the other two readers. The films were rated as to quality of the arteriographic films and the completeness of the study. In each case there was a greater interreader than intrareader variability (p less than 0.01). The films were rated good, acceptable, or poor. One of the three interpreters consistently gave worse ratings than the other two readers. It was particularly noteworthy that a larger amount of interreader variability was observed in both the left main coronary artery and the proximal left anterior descending artery.