TY - JOUR
T1 - Reproducibility of real-time shear wave elastography in the evaluation of liver elasticity
AU - Ferraioli, Giovanna
AU - Tinelli, Carmine
AU - Zicchetti, Mabel
AU - Above, Elisabetta
AU - Poma, Gianluigi
AU - Di Gregorio, Marta
AU - Filice, Carlo
PY - 2012/11
Y1 - 2012/11
N2 - Objective: To evaluate the reproducibility of real-time shear wave elastography in assessing liver elasticity in healthy volunteers. Methods: Forty-two volunteers were studied in day 1. Shear wave elastography studies were performed by using the ultrasound system Aixplorer™ (SuperSonic Imagine S.A., Aix-en-Provence, France) with a convex broadband probe. Measurements were carried by two operators, an expert (operator 1) and a novice (operator 2). Examinations were performed on the right lobe of the liver. Each operator performed 10 consecutive measurements in each volunteer. In a subset of volunteers (n = 18) measurements were performed twice on two different days (day 1 and day 2). Intraobserver and interobserver agreement were assessed by intraclass correlation coefficient. Results: Intraobserver agreement between measurements performed in the same subject in the same day (day 1 or day 2) showed intraclass correlation coefficient values of 0.95 (95% confidence interval, 0.93-0.98) and 0.93 (95% confidence interval, 0.90-0.96) for operator 1 and operator 2, respectively. Intraobserver agreement between measurements performed in the same subject in different days showed intraclass correlation coefficient values of 0.84 (95% confidence interval, 0.69-0.98) and 0.65 (95% confidence interval, 0.39-0.91) for operator 1 and operator 2, respectively. Interobserver agreement was 0.88 (95% confidence interval, 0.82-0.94). Conclusions: The results of this study show that shear wave elastography is a reliable and reproducible noninvasive method for the assessment of liver elasticity. Expert operator had higher reproducibility of measurements over time than novice operator.
AB - Objective: To evaluate the reproducibility of real-time shear wave elastography in assessing liver elasticity in healthy volunteers. Methods: Forty-two volunteers were studied in day 1. Shear wave elastography studies were performed by using the ultrasound system Aixplorer™ (SuperSonic Imagine S.A., Aix-en-Provence, France) with a convex broadband probe. Measurements were carried by two operators, an expert (operator 1) and a novice (operator 2). Examinations were performed on the right lobe of the liver. Each operator performed 10 consecutive measurements in each volunteer. In a subset of volunteers (n = 18) measurements were performed twice on two different days (day 1 and day 2). Intraobserver and interobserver agreement were assessed by intraclass correlation coefficient. Results: Intraobserver agreement between measurements performed in the same subject in the same day (day 1 or day 2) showed intraclass correlation coefficient values of 0.95 (95% confidence interval, 0.93-0.98) and 0.93 (95% confidence interval, 0.90-0.96) for operator 1 and operator 2, respectively. Intraobserver agreement between measurements performed in the same subject in different days showed intraclass correlation coefficient values of 0.84 (95% confidence interval, 0.69-0.98) and 0.65 (95% confidence interval, 0.39-0.91) for operator 1 and operator 2, respectively. Interobserver agreement was 0.88 (95% confidence interval, 0.82-0.94). Conclusions: The results of this study show that shear wave elastography is a reliable and reproducible noninvasive method for the assessment of liver elasticity. Expert operator had higher reproducibility of measurements over time than novice operator.
KW - Elastography
KW - Intraclass correlation coefficient
KW - Liver
KW - Reproducibility studies
KW - Ultrasound
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U2 - 10.1016/j.ejrad.2012.05.030
DO - 10.1016/j.ejrad.2012.05.030
M3 - Article
C2 - 22749107
AN - SCOPUS:84867024277
VL - 81
SP - 3102
EP - 3106
JO - European Journal of Radiology
JF - European Journal of Radiology
SN - 0720-048X
IS - 11
ER -