From the Department of Radiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.
Invest Radiol. 2020 Apr;55(4):191-199. doi: 10.1097/RLI.0000000000000627.
Ultrasound shear wave elastography (SWE) is an imaging technique that quantifies liver stiffness. However, comparison data across newest ultrasound systems are sparse. The purpose of this study was to assess repeatability and agreement of shear wave speeds (SWSs) across 6 ultrasound 2-dimensional (2D) SWE systems.
This cross-sectional, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act-compliant study received institutional review board approval. Written informed consent was obtained. Serial 2D SWE examinations were performed with 6 ultrasound systems (Aplio i800, Canon Medical Systems; LOGIQ E10, GE Healthcare; Resona 7, Mindray North America; EPIQ Elite, Philips Healthcare; ACUSON Sequoia, Siemens Medical Solutions; and Aixplorer MACH 30, SuperSonic Imagine) on 4 elastic phantoms (SWS range, 0.82-3.51 m/s) and on livers of 24 adults (healthy volunteers and patients with known liver stiffening). Participants were imaged 2 times per ultrasound system, with 90 to 120 minutes between examinations. Median SWS was calculated from separately acquired SWS measurements per examination (40 phantom measurements and 10 liver measurements per examination).
Overall intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) for intersystem agreement of median SWS across systems was 0.99 (95% confidence interval, 0.96-1.0) in phantoms and 0.66 to 0.69 (95% confidence interval, 0.47-0.84) in humans across systems. Means of median SWS measurements in humans ranged from 1.24 to 1.56 m/s. Average individual subject-level variance (interquartile range/median SWS) across all examinations was 0.07, with an average coefficient of variation of 6.0%. Pairwise ICCs for intersystem agreement in subjects across systems ranged from 0.41 to 0.91; test-retest repeatability in subjects was excellent for all systems, with ICCs ranging from 0.87 to 0.97.
There is good to excellent intersystem agreement of measured SWS in elastic phantoms and in vivo livers across 6 ultrasound 2D SWE systems. Test-retest repeatability was excellent for all systems.
超声剪切波弹性成像（SWE）是一种量化肝脏硬度的成像技术。然而，最新超声系统之间的比较数据很少。本研究的目的是评估 6 种超声二维（2D）SWE 系统的剪切波速度（SWS）的重复性和一致性。
这项横断面、符合《健康保险流通与责任法案》的研究获得了机构审查委员会的批准。获得了书面知情同意。对 4 个弹性体模（SWS 范围为 0.82-3.51m/s）和 24 名成人（健康志愿者和已知肝脏硬度增加的患者）的肝脏进行了 6 种超声系统（Aplio i800，佳能医疗系统；LOGIQ E10，GE 医疗；Resona 7，迈瑞北美；EPIQ Elite，飞利浦医疗；ACUSON Sequoia，西门子医疗解决方案；Aixplorer MACH 30，SuperSonic Imagine）的连续 2D SWE 检查。每位参与者在每种超声系统上进行 2 次成像，两次检查之间间隔 90-120 分钟。从每次检查分别获得的 SWS 测量值中计算出中位数 SWS（每次检查 40 次体模测量值和 10 次肝脏测量值）。
系统间中位数 SWS 的总体组内相关系数（ICC）在体模中为 0.99（95%置信区间，0.96-1.0），在人体中为 0.66 至 0.69（95%置信区间，0.47-0.84）。人体中位数 SWS 测量值的平均值范围为 1.24-1.56m/s。所有检查中个体受试者水平方差（四分位距/中位数 SWS）平均值为 0.07，变异系数平均值为 6.0%。系统间受试者的两两 ICC 范围为 0.41-0.91；所有系统的测试-再测试重复性均良好，ICC 范围为 0.87-0.97。
在 6 种超声 2D SWE 系统中，弹性体模和体内肝脏的测量 SWS 具有良好到极好的系统间一致性。所有系统的测试-再测试重复性均良好。
