title: Reproducibility of grayscale and radiofrequency IVUS data acquisition in stented coronary arteries.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Variability in data acquisition from intervened coronary arteries could represent a source of error that has implications for the design of serial stent studies. We assessed inter-pullback reproducibility of volumetric grayscale and radiofrequency intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) data in stented coronary arteries.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifteen patients with coronary artery lesions treated with stent implantation were included and examined with two separate pullbacks using the Eagle Eye Gold-phased array 20 MHz IVUS catheter (Volcano). The arteries were divided into five segments, giving a total of 150 sub-segments for analyses. Matching of frames was performed using landmarks that were clearly visible in coronary angiography and intravascular pullbacks. Data were analyzed off-line at an independent Corelab.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The inter-pullback reproducibility of geometrical data was very good for non-stented segments with relative differences less than 5% between pullbacks for lumen-, vessel-, and plaque volumes. For stented segments reproducibility was poorer with relative differences between pullbacks in the range of 5-10%. The inter-pullback reproducibility of compositional data demonstrated large standard deviations of relative differences, indicating a weaker agreement.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Agreements between pullbacks were weaker in stented than those in non-stented segments. Based on our data, future longitudinal IVUS studies in intervened vessels should account for a variability of 5-10% attributed to the acquisition of images.
authors.affiliation: Department of Circulation and Medical Imaging, Norwegian University of Science and Technology , Trondheim , Norway.
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Madssen
authors.forename: Jacek
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jakala
authors.forename: Klaudia
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Proniewska
authors.forename: Tomasz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kulaga
authors.forename: Knut
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hegbom
authors.forename: Rune
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wiseth
mesh_terms: D054058:Acute Coronary Syndrome / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000628:therapy; D000368:Aged; D060050:Angina, Stable / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000628:therapy; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D062645:Percutaneous Coronary Intervention; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D015607:Stents; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional
keywords: IVUS; coronary stent; reproducibility