title: Intraobserver agreement among endosonographers for endoscopic ultrasound features of chronic pancreatitis: a blinded multicenter study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Assess intraobserver agreement among endosonographers for endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) features of chronic pancreatitis (CP).
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty EUS images from patients with suspected CP were shown twice in random order to 5 blinded endosonographers. The following accepted features of CP were assessed: (1) hyperechoic foci, (2) hyperechoic strands, (3) lobularity, (4) cysts, (5) stones, (6) main pancreatic duct dilatation, (7) pancreatic duct irregularity, (8) hyperechoic duct margins, (9) visible side branches, and (10) overall assessment for CP. Intraobserver κ statistics were calculated for each endosonographer and for each feature. Interobserver κ was also calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean intraobserver κ values were 0.82, 0.65, 0.71, 0.59, and 0.86 for the 5 endosonographers. The mean intraobserver κ values for each feature were (1) 0.66, (2) 0.67, (3) 0.70, (4) not calculable, (5) 0.96, (6) 0.81, (7) 0.77, (8) 0.69, (9) 0.51, and (10) 0.73. The mean interobserver κ values were 0.19, 0.07, 0.53, not calculable, 0.77, 0.77, 0.60, 0.34, 0.11, and 0.39, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There was good intraobserver agreement in the interpretation of EUS features of CP. The intraobserver agreement seems better than the published interobserver agreement for EUS features of CP and better than the published intraobserver agreement for endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography imaging for CP.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
authors.forename: John G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Lieb
authors.forename: David T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Palma
authors.forename: Cynthia W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Garvan
authors.forename: Julia K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Leblanc
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Romagnuolo
authors.forename: James J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Farrell
authors.forename: Thomas J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Savides
authors.forename: Mohamad A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Eloubeidi
authors.forename: Peter V
authors.initials: PV
authors.lastname: Draganov
authors.forename: Chris E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Forsmark
authors.forename: Mihir S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Wagh
mesh_terms: D019160:Endosonography; D006801:Humans; D015588:Observer Variation; D010179:Pancreas / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D010183:Pancreatic Ducts / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D050500:Pancreatitis, Chronic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014481:United States