Nodule Size List
The size information presented here is to augment the LIDC/IDRI database [2]. It provides a (volumetric) size estimate for all the pulmonary nodules with boundary markings (nodules estimated by at least one reader to be at least 3 mm in size). The purpose of this list is to provide a common size index for the selection of subsets of nodules with a given size range. The goal is to ensure that when multiple research groups use the same size-selected subrange of nodules that they will be using the same set of nodules as each other. There are many metrics that may be used for size estimation from the LIDC annotations[1] and the one used here was not considered to be superior to others. It is requested that when research groups make use of this list for subrange selection that they make a reference to this list including the release date of the list in their publication(*).
The nodule size list provides size estimations for the nodules identified in the the public LIDC/IDRI dataset. The LIDC/IDRI data itself and the accompanying annotation documentation may be obtained from The Cancer Imaging Archive (TCIA). The size information reported here is derived directly from the CT scan annotations.
For information on other image database click on the "Databases" tab at the top of this page.
The current list (Release 2011-10-27-2), shown immediately below is now complete for the new TCIA data distribution and encompasses all of the 1010 cases. The TCIA distribution was made available early in July 2011 and is hosted at Washington University in St. Louis. This new distribution has a different encoding from previous distributions of the NBIA and cases cannot directly be compared between the two. Details on CT scans with importing issues and scans for which no nodule larger than 3 mm was reported are included in the List 3 notes.
| Update No. | Release Date | Review | Downloads | Notes |
| 2 | October 27, 2011 | List 3 | Excel, CSV | List 3 Notes |
The nodule size table is comprised of the following columns:
| Title | Contents |
| Case | The digits after the last dash in the Subject ID (the other part is constant and equal to LIDC-IDRI-). |
| Scan | The DICOM series number, tag (0020,0011), that uniquely identifies each scan for cases with multiple scans(1) |
| Roi | A scan-specific index number for each physical nodule estimated by at least one reader to be larger than 3 mm. |
| Volume | The median of the volume estimates for that nodule; each volume estimate is computed by multiplying the number of voxels included in the nodule region by the voxel volume. The units are mm3. |
| Eq. diam. | The equivalent diameter of the nodule, i. e. the diameter of the sphere having the same volume as the nodule estimated volume. The units of the diameter are mm. |
| X loc. | The x coordinate of the nodule location, computed as the median of the center-of-mass x coordinates, where x is an integer between 0 and 511 included and it increases from left to right. |
| Y loc. | The y coordinate of the nodule location, computed as the median value of the center-of-mass y coordinates, where y is an integer between 0 and 511 included and it increases from top to bottom. |
| Slice No. | The slice number of the nodule location, computed as the median value of the center-of-mass z coordinates, where the slice number is an integer starting at 1 and progressing in the cranio-caudal direction. |
| nodIDs | The identifier or identifiers of the nodule boundaries used for the volume estimation of that physical nodule. |
Note 1: the use of the DICOM Study Instance UID or Series Instance UID would have been more appropriate,
but we favored the series number simply because of the impractical length of those UIDs.
The Size List for the NBIA Data
The size lists provided below are for historic interest only and should only be used to compare results with that of previous publications. All new studies should use the list for the more recent TCIA distribution given above. The nodule size list provides size estimations for the nodules identified in the the public LIDC dataset. The LIDC data itself and the accompanying annotation documentation may be obtained from the NBIA Image Archive (formerly NCIA). The size information reported here is derived directly from the LIDC image annotations.
| Release Date | Review | Downloads | Notes |
| August 04, 2009 | List 2 | Excel, CSV | List 2 Notes |
| May 02, 2009 | List 1 | Excel, CSV | List 1 Notes |
The nodule size table is comprised of the following columns:
| Title | Contents |
| Subject | The digits after the last dot of the subject ID (the other part is constant and equal to 1.3.6.1.4.1.9328.50.3). |
| Study | The digits after the last dot of the Study Instance UID (the other part is constant and equal to 1.3.6.1.4.1.9328.50.3). |
| Roi | An arbitrary unique identifier for each physical nodule, estimated by at least one reader to be larger than 3 mm, in a study. |
| Volume |
For List 2, the median of the volume estimates for that nodule; each
volume estimate is computed by multiplying the number of voxels
included in the nodule region by the voxel volume. The units are
mm3. For List 1, please, refer to the List 1 Notes. |
| Eq. diam. | The equivalent diameter of the nodule, i. e. the diameter of the sphere having the same volume as the nodule estimated volume. The units of the diameter are mm. |
| X loc. | The x coordinate of the nodule location, computed as the median of the center-of-mass x coordinates, where x is an integer between 0 and 511 included and it increases from left to right. |
| Y loc. | The y coordinate of the nodule location, computed as the median value of the center-of-mass y coordinates, where y is an integer between 0 and 511 included and it increases from top to bottom. |
| Slice No. | The slice number of the nodule location, computed as the median value of the center-of-mass z coordinates, where the slice number is an integer starting at 1. |
| nodIDs | The identifier or identifiers of the nodule boundaries used for the volume estimation of that physical nodule. |
- A. P. Reeves, A. M. Biancardi, T. V. Apanasovich, C. R. Meyer, H. MacMahon, E. J.R. van Beek, E. A. Kazerooni, D. Yankelevitz, M. F. McNitt-Gray, G. McLennan, S. G. Armato III, C. I. Henschke, D. R. Aberle, B. Y. Croft, and L. P. Clarke. "The lung image database consortium (LIDC): A comparison of different size metrics for pulmonary nodule measurements." Academic Radiology, 14(12):1475-1485, Dec 2007.
- S. G. Armato, III, G. McLennan, L. Bidaut, M. F. McNitt-Gray, C. R. Meyer, A. P. Reeves, B. Zhao, D. R. Aberle, C. I. Henschke, E. A. Hoffman, E. A. Kazerooni, H. MacMahon, E. J. R. van Beek, D. Yankelevitz, A. M. Biancardi, P. H. Bland, M. S. Brown, R. M. Engelmann, G. E. Laderach, D. Max, R. C. Pais, D. P.-Y. Qing, R. Y. Roberts, A. R. Smith, A. Starkey, P. Batra, P. Caligiuri, A. Farooqi, G. W. Gladish, C. M. Jude, R. F. Munden, I. Petkovska, L. E. Quint, L. H. Schwartz, B. Sundaram, L. E. Dodd, C. Fenimore, D. Gur, N. Petrick, J. Freymann, J. Kirby, B. Hughes, A. Vande Casteele, S. Gupte, M. Sallam, M. D. Heath, M. H. Kuhn, E. Dharaiya, R. Burns, D. S. Fryd, M. Salganicoff, V. Anand, U. Shreter, S. Vastagh, B. Y. Croft, and L. P. Clarke. "The Lung Image Database Consortium (LIDC) and Image Database Resource Initiative (IDRI): A Completed Reference Database of Lung Nodules on CT Scans." Medical Physics, 38(2):915-931, 2011.
(*) Citation:
A. P. Reeves, A. M. Biancardi,
"The Lung Image Database Consortium (LIDC) Nodule Size Report."
Release: 2011-10-27-2. At: /lidc/, October 27, 2011