title: Reproducibility of microvascular vessel density analysis in Sidestream dark-field-derived images of healthy term newborns.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Microcirculatory visualization has already been used to investigate buccal and cutaneous microcirculatory alterations in neonates. Still, the reproducibility of these microvascular measurements has never been studied in (premature) neonates. This study aimed to determine the reproducibility of microvascular vessel density in cutaneous and buccal SDF clips in one-day-old term newborns.
  
  
  METHODS
  Buccal and cutaneous microcirculations were measured using SDF imaging. Vessel density was independently assessed by two investigators. Reproducibility was assessed from the ICC and Bland-Altman analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Reproducibility of vessel density assessment in the buccal area was good, with ICCs for total and PVD of 0.93 (0.88-0.97) and 0.93 (95% CI 0.85-0.97), respectively, and a near zero bias and acceptable limits of agreement in the Bland-Altman analysis. Reproducibility of assessment of the cutaneous microcirculation was poor with ICCs for total and PVD of 0.31 (0-0.70) and 0.37 (0-0.74), respectively, and large biases (3.09 and 2.53) in the Bland-Altman analysis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Evaluation of buccal microvascular vessel density in SDF-derived images in term newborns is reproducible in contrary to the cutaneous vessel density.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Erasmus MC-Sophia, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Victor J
authors.initials: VJ
authors.lastname: van den Berg
authors.forename: Hugo A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: van Elteren
authors.forename: Erik A B
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Buijs
authors.forename: Can
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ince
authors.forename: Dick
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tibboel
authors.forename: Irwin K M
authors.initials: IK
authors.lastname: Reiss
authors.forename: Rogier C J
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: de Jonge
mesh_terms: D000792:Angiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008833:Microcirculation / Q000502:physiology*; D055806:Microvessels; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000098:blood supply*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012867:Skin / Q000098:blood supply*
keywords: Sidestream dark field; buccal; cutaneous; neonates; reproducibility