Reproducibility of ultrasound attenuation imaging for the noninvasive evaluation of hepatic steatosis
- Author:
Jeongin YOO
1
;
Jeong Min LEE
;
Ijin JOO
;
Dong Ho LEE
;
Jeong Hee YOON
;
Hyo-Jin KANG
;
Su Joa AHN
Author Information
- Publication Type:1
- From: Ultrasonography 2020;39(2):121-129
- CountryRepublic of Korea
-
Abstract:
Purpose:The purpose of this study was to evaluate the intra-observer reproducibility of ultrasound attenuation imaging (ATI) for the noninvasive assessment of hepatic steatosis in patients with suspected hepatic steatosis and the inter-observer reproducibility in asymptomatic volunteers.
Methods:This prospective study was approved by our institutional review board and informed consent was obtained from all patients. In group 1, composed of patients with suspected hepatic steatosis (n=143), one abdominal radiologist performed gray-scale ultrasonography and two sessions of ATI. In group 2, composed of healthy volunteers (n=18), three independent sessions of ATI were performed by three abdominal radiologists. The visual degree of hepatic steatosis in all study subjects was graded on a 4-point scale by two independent reviewers using gray-scale ultrasonography. Thereafter, the attenuation coefficient (AC) was correlated with the degree of hepatic steatosis using Spearman rank correlation analysis. Intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs) were used to assess the intra-observer (group 1) and inter-observer reproducibility (group 2) of ATI measurements.
Results:For the intra-observer reproducibility of ATI, the ICC was 0.929 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.901 to 0.949), and the coefficient of variation was 7.1%. Inter-observer reproducibility of ATI measurements showed an ICC of 0.792 (95% CI, 0.549 to 0.916). The AC showed a significant correlation with the visual grade of hepatic steatosis for both reviewers (rho, 0.780 and 0.695; P<0.001, respectively).
Conclusion:ATI showed high intra- and inter-observer reproducibility in the assessment of hepatic steatosis.
