Intra- and Inter-Observer Variability of Quantitative Parameters Used in Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound of Kidneys of Healthy Cats

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) is a non-invasive imaging technique which allows qualitative and quantitative assessment of tissue perfusion. Although CEUS offers numerous advantages, a major challenge remains the variability in tissue perfusion quantification. This study aimed to assess intra-...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Animals (Basel) 2022-12, Vol.12 (24), p.3557
Main Authors: Hillaert, Amber, Stock, Emmelie, Favril, Sophie, Duchateau, Luc, Saunders, Jimmy H, Vanderperren, Katrien
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Blood
Blood flow
cat
contrast-enhanced ultrasound
Correlation coefficient
Correlation coefficients
feline
Imaging techniques
kidney
Kidney diseases
Kidneys
Medical imaging
Nephrology
Neuroimaging
observer variability
Observers
Perfusion
Quantitative analysis
Software
Tissues
Ultrasonic imaging
Ultrasonic testing
Ultrasound
Variability
Veins & arteries
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Summary:Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) is a non-invasive imaging technique which allows qualitative and quantitative assessment of tissue perfusion. Although CEUS offers numerous advantages, a major challenge remains the variability in tissue perfusion quantification. This study aimed to assess intra- and inter-observer variability for quantification of renal perfusion. Two observers with different levels of expertise performed a quantitative analysis of 36 renal CEUS studies, twice. The CEUS data were collected from 12 healthy cats at 3 different time points with a 7-day interval. The inter- and intra-observer agreement was assessed by the intraclass correlation coefficient. Within and between observers, a good agreement was demonstrated for intensity-related parameters in the cortex, medulla, and interlobular artery. For some parameters, ICC was considerably lower than ICC , mostly when the ROI encompassed the entire kidney or medulla. With the exception of time to peak (TTP) and mean transit time (mTTI), time-related and slope-related parameters showed poor agreement among observers. In conclusion, it may be advised against having the quantitative assessment of renal perfusion performed by different observers, especially if their experience levels differ. The cortical mTTI seemed to be the most appropriate parameter as it showed a favorable inter-observer agreement and inter-period agreement.
ISSN:2076-2615
2076-2615
DOI:10.3390/ani12243557