title: Three-dimensional ultrasound: accuracy of distance and volume measurements.
abstract: The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of three-dimensional ultrasound distance and volume measurements using a commercially available three-dimensional ultrasound scanner. Sixty-two distance measurements were performed twice on an ultrasound tissue-mimicking phantom located in a water bath. Three-dimensional ultrasound distance measurements were compared to the actual distance. Volume measurements were made in a water bath with 21 balloons of various shapes ranging in volume from 20 ml to 490 ml. Three-dimensional ultrasound volume measurements were compared to actual balloon volumes and to conventional two-dimensional ultrasound volume calculations. The mean absolute error in three-dimensional ultrasound distance measurements was 1.0 +/- 0.8% (range, -2.3 to +1.9%) in the plane of acquisition and 1.0 +/- 0.6% (range, -2.0 to -0.2%) for planes with other orientations. Three-dimensional ultrasound volume measurements showed a mean absolute error of 6.4 +/- 4.4% (range, -6.0% to +15.5%), which was considerably better than two-dimensional ultrasound volume estimates having a mean absolute error of 12.6 +/- 8.7% (range, -27.5% to +39.2%). Volume measurements using two-dimensional ultrasound methods were much less accurate than three-dimensional ultrasound methods for irregularly shaped objects. In conclusion, our data show that three-dimensional ultrasound measurements of distance and volume are sufficiently accurate to use clinically.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Radiology, University Hospital, LKH Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Riccabona
authors.forename: T R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Nelson
authors.forename: D H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Pretorius
mesh_terms: D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D011247:Pregnancy; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*