title: Accuracy of three-dimensional ultrasound for thyroid volume measurement in children and adolescents.
abstract: The aim of this study was to estimate accuracy, intraobserver variability, and repeatability of thyroid volume measurement by ultrasound using conventional two-dimensional ellipsoid model (2D US) and manual planimetry of three-dimensional images (3D US). The sonographic images of 47 children with thyroid nodular pathology who were referred for thyroid surgery in Belarus were evaluated prospectively. Two-dimensional images were acquired using the ultrasound scanner with 7.5-MHz linear probe. Three-dimensional data sets were created using three-dimensional system, FreeScan. For each patient thyroid volume was measured three times using both two- and three-dimensional methods. Results of volume estimation were then compared to the volume of thyroid gland determined after surgery. Standardized difference between thyroid volume estimated by ultrasound and surgery (mean +/- standard deviation (SD), %) for 3D and 2D US methods was 1.8 +/- 5.2% and 3.2 +/- 15.3%, respectively. The 3D US has lower intraobserver variability (3.4%) and higher repeatability (96.5%) than 2D US with 14.4% variability and 84.8% repeatability (p < 0.001). In conclusion, three-dimensional sonography allows accurate measurement of thyroid volume with low intraobserver variability and high repeatability.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Thyroidology, Clinical Research Institute for Radiation Medicine and Endocrinology, Minsk, Belarus. lyschik@kuhp.kyoto-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Andrej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lyshchik
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Drozd
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Reiners
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D016014:Linear Models; D015588:Observer Variation; D009929:Organ Size; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D016606:Thyroid Nodule / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000592:standards