Descriptive terms for mammographic abnormalities: observer variation in application. The Northern Region Breast Screening Radiology Audit Group.

In an attempt to standardize descriptive terms of mammographic appearances, observer variation was studied in an analysis of mammograms showing either opacities or microcalcification. The results are presented for 80 examples of each which were assessed by two teams of four radiologists. The observer variation was so great that the Audit Group has abandoned the attempt to classify the radiological observations by the use of these descriptive terms.