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Intervendor variability of carotid intima–media thickness measurement: validation study using newly developed ultrasound phantom

  • Original Article–Physics & Engineering
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A Correction to this article was published on 01 July 2020

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Abstract

Purpose

Ultrasonography-derived carotid artery intima–media thickness (IMT) has been established as an early atherosclerotic imaging biomarker. The IMT reference value of a healthy person is approximately 0.1 × (every 10 years of age) + 0.2 (mm); accordingly, it requires an accuracy of at least 0.1 mm. However, one concern of IMT measurement is intervendor variability. In this study, we aimed to verify the intervendor variability using an IMT phantom.

Methods

An improved IMT phantom was developed, and it was possible to analyze the IMT by software for all vendors.

Results

With the vendor-specific software, the maximum difference between the devices was 0.08 mm, and the difference in quartile range was 0.06 mm. On the other hand, with the vendor-independent offline software, the maximum difference between the devices was 0.16 mm, and the quartile range of variation was 0.06 mm.

Conclusion

The intervendor variability assessed using our IMT phantom was less than 0.10 mm, and the on-board vendor-specific software was shown to reduce the difference between the devices significantly compared with the vendor-independent offline software. To further improve the vender difference, adjustment by means of vendor-specific software based on a standardized IMT phantom is warranted.

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Change history

  • 01 July 2020

    In the Original publication of the article Table 3 was published incorrectly.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank all industry partners—Fuji-Film, Fukuda Denshi, GE, Hitachi, Konica Minolta, Philips, Siemens, and Canon—for their active contribution to this project. Their support has been essential to its realization. This research was conducted by the research and development team of the Japan Society of Ultrasonics in Medicine, Heisei 28 and 29 “Research on accuracy control and diagnostic standardization of carotid intima–media thickness measurement”.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-0817, Japan

    Tomoko Ishizu

  2. Department of Neurology, Kita-Harima Medical Center, 926-253 Ichiba-cho, Ono, Hyogo, 675-1392, Japan

    Hirotoshi Hamaguchi

  3. Health Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 1-2-1 Namiki, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8564, Japan

    Naotaka Nitta

  4. Department of Cardiology, Nagoya City University, 1 Kawasumi, Mizuho-cho, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya, 467-8601, Japan

    Yoshihiro Seo

  5. Matsuo Medical Clinic, 2-15-25 Kita-Honmachi, Yao City, Osaka, 581-0802, Japan

    Hiroshi Matsuo

  6. Department of Human Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 53 Kawahara-cho, Shogoin, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan

    Tsuyoshi Shiina

Authors
  1. Tomoko Ishizu
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  2. Hirotoshi Hamaguchi
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  3. Naotaka Nitta
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  4. Yoshihiro Seo
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  5. Hiroshi Matsuo
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  6. Tsuyoshi Shiina
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tsuyoshi Shiina.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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This study does not include clinical patients or animals.

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Ishizu, T., Hamaguchi, H., Nitta, N. et al. Intervendor variability of carotid intima–media thickness measurement: validation study using newly developed ultrasound phantom. J Med Ultrasonics 47, 155–165 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10396-019-00995-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10396-019-00995-7

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