title: Reproducibility of Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse Imaging in Thyroid and Salivary Glands with Experienced and Inexperienced Examiners.
abstract: Acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) imaging enables the sonographic measurement of tissue stiffness. The aim of this study was to evaluate if experience in ARFI imaging influences the reproducibility of ARFI imaging of the head and neck. Three experienced sonographers and three inexperienced sonographers performed ARFI imaging of thyroid, submandibular and parotid glands in 10 healthy volunteers. The examination was repeated after 2 wk. Ten single ARFI measurements were done in every gland. Inter-rater and intra-rater reliability was analyzed using the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC). Moderate agreement was observed between experienced and inexperienced examiners (ICC = 0.46). In salivary glands, agreement was fair between the groups (ICC = 0.33), whereas in separate evaluations, inter-rater reliability in the submandibular glands was moderate (ICC = 0.52), and that in the parotid glands, only poor (ICC = 0.09). For ARFI imaging of the thyroid gland, there was moderate agreement between the groups (ICC = 0.50). The intra-rater reliability for the salivary and thyroid glands together and separately was strong in both groups. ARFI imaging of the thyroid and salivary glands did exhibit good reproducibility. ARFI imaging of the thyroid gland reached the highest levels of inter- and intra-observer agreement in both groups. ARFI imaging in salivary glands is only reproducible with experienced examiners.
authors.affiliation: Otorhinolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany. Electronic address: b.hofauer@tum.de.
authors.forename: Benedikt
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hofauer
authors.affiliation: Otorhinolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Naglaa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mansour
authors.affiliation: Otorhinolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Clemens
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Heiser
authors.affiliation: Otorhinolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wirth
authors.affiliation: Otorhinolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Straßen
authors.affiliation: Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Denys
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Loeffelbein
authors.affiliation: Otorhinolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bas
authors.affiliation: Otorhinolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Knopf
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D054459:Elasticity Imaging Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015588:Observer Variation; D012016:Reference Values; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012469:Salivary Glands / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000033:anatomy & histology*
keywords: Acoustic radiation force impulse; Reproducibility; Salivary gland; Shear wave; Thyroid gland