title: The ultrasound compression sign to diagnose temporal giant cell arteritis shows an excellent interobserver agreement.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the diagnostic performance between a vascular specialist and a rheumatologist not familiar with vascular ultrasound when applying the compression sign for the diagnosis of temporal arteritis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty consecutive patients with suspicion of giant cell arteritis were examined by both examiners. Compression of the temporal artery on both sides (stem and both branches) was performed to define whether signs of vasculitis, no vasculitis or an indefinite result were present. Each examiner was blinded to the result of the other.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 59/60 patients, the examiners found an identical result. The interobserver agreement (Krippendorf alpha) was 0.92.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The new compression sign for the diagnosis of temporal arteritis is a simple and robust sonographic marker with an excellent interobserver agreement.
authors.affiliation: Department of Angiology, University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aschwanden
authors.affiliation: Department of Angiology, University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Imfeld
authors.affiliation: Department of Angiology, University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Staub
authors.affiliation: Department of Angiology, University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Baldi
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: U A
authors.initials: UA
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.affiliation: Medical Outpatient Department, University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: C T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Berger
authors.affiliation: Medical Outpatient Department, University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hess
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Daikeler
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D013700:Giant Cell Arteritis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012219:Rheumatology; D013699:Temporal Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D018616:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Duplex