Comparison of Linear and Convex-Array Transducers in Assessing the Enhancement Characteristics of Suspicious Breast Lesions at Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound (CEUS)
The purpose of this study was to determine the observer agreement in assessing the enhancement pattern of suspicious breast lesions with contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) using high and low frequency transducers. Methods: This prospective study included 70 patients with suspicious breast lesions d...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-03-01
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| Series: | Diagnostics |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/12/4/798 |
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| author | Ioana Boca (Bene) Anca Ileana Ciurea Cristiana Augusta Ciortea Ștefan Cristian Vesa Sorin Marian Dudea |
| author_facet | Ioana Boca (Bene) Anca Ileana Ciurea Cristiana Augusta Ciortea Ștefan Cristian Vesa Sorin Marian Dudea |
| author_sort | Ioana Boca (Bene) |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The purpose of this study was to determine the observer agreement in assessing the enhancement pattern of suspicious breast lesions with contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) using high and low frequency transducers. Methods: This prospective study included 70 patients with suspicious breast lesions detected at mammography and/or ultrasound and classified according to the American College of Radiology (ACR) Breast Imaging-Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) in 4A, 4B, 4C, or 5, who underwent CEUS examinations between October 2020 and August 2021. Results: Participants’ ages ranged from 28 to 83 years (48.5 + 6.36, mean age + SD). We obtained a substantial agreement for the first reader (kappa = 0.614, <i>p</i> < 0.001) and a perfect agreement for the second and third reader (kappa = 1, <i>p</i> < 0.001) between the two transducers for the uptake pattern. A moderate agreement for the second and third reader (kappa = 0.517 and 0.538, respectively, <i>p</i> < 0.001) and only a fair agreement (kappa = 0.320, <i>p</i> < 0.001) in the case of the first reader for the perilesional enhancement was observed. We obtained an excellent inter-observer agreement (Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient = 0.960, <i>p</i> < 0.001) for the degree of enhancement, a good inter-observer agreement for the uptake pattern and perilesional enhancement (Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient = 0.831 and 0.853, respectively, <i>p</i> < 0.001), and a good and acceptable inter-observer agreement for internal homogeneity, perfusion defects and margins of the lesions (Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient = 0.703, 0.703 and 0.792, respectively, <i>p</i> < 0.001) concerning the evaluation of breast lesions with the linear-array transducer. Conclusions: The evaluation of suspicious breast lesions by three experts with high-frequency linear-array transducer and low-frequency convex-array transducer was comparable in terms of uptake pattern and perilesional enhancement. The agreement regarding the evaluation of the degree of enhancement, the internal homogeneity, and the perfusion defects varied between fair and substantial. For all CEUS characteristics, the inter-observer agreement was superior for linear-array transducer, which leads to more a homogeneous and reproducible interpretation. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T10:57:53Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-16d21a1098fd4df899dd66633a80d342 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-4418 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T10:57:53Z |
| publishDate | 2022-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Diagnostics |
| spelling | doaj.art-16d21a1098fd4df899dd66633a80d3422023-12-01T01:29:39ZengMDPI AGDiagnostics2075-44182022-03-0112479810.3390/diagnostics12040798Comparison of Linear and Convex-Array Transducers in Assessing the Enhancement Characteristics of Suspicious Breast Lesions at Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound (CEUS)Ioana Boca (Bene)0Anca Ileana Ciurea1Cristiana Augusta Ciortea2Ștefan Cristian Vesa3Sorin Marian Dudea4Department of Radiology, “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, RomaniaDepartment of Radiology, “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, RomaniaDepartment of Radiology, Emergency County Hospital, 400006 Cluj-Napoca, RomaniaDepartment of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Clinical Pharmacology, “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, RomaniaDepartment of Radiology, “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, RomaniaThe purpose of this study was to determine the observer agreement in assessing the enhancement pattern of suspicious breast lesions with contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) using high and low frequency transducers. Methods: This prospective study included 70 patients with suspicious breast lesions detected at mammography and/or ultrasound and classified according to the American College of Radiology (ACR) Breast Imaging-Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) in 4A, 4B, 4C, or 5, who underwent CEUS examinations between October 2020 and August 2021. Results: Participants’ ages ranged from 28 to 83 years (48.5 + 6.36, mean age + SD). We obtained a substantial agreement for the first reader (kappa = 0.614, <i>p</i> < 0.001) and a perfect agreement for the second and third reader (kappa = 1, <i>p</i> < 0.001) between the two transducers for the uptake pattern. A moderate agreement for the second and third reader (kappa = 0.517 and 0.538, respectively, <i>p</i> < 0.001) and only a fair agreement (kappa = 0.320, <i>p</i> < 0.001) in the case of the first reader for the perilesional enhancement was observed. We obtained an excellent inter-observer agreement (Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient = 0.960, <i>p</i> < 0.001) for the degree of enhancement, a good inter-observer agreement for the uptake pattern and perilesional enhancement (Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient = 0.831 and 0.853, respectively, <i>p</i> < 0.001), and a good and acceptable inter-observer agreement for internal homogeneity, perfusion defects and margins of the lesions (Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient = 0.703, 0.703 and 0.792, respectively, <i>p</i> < 0.001) concerning the evaluation of breast lesions with the linear-array transducer. Conclusions: The evaluation of suspicious breast lesions by three experts with high-frequency linear-array transducer and low-frequency convex-array transducer was comparable in terms of uptake pattern and perilesional enhancement. The agreement regarding the evaluation of the degree of enhancement, the internal homogeneity, and the perfusion defects varied between fair and substantial. For all CEUS characteristics, the inter-observer agreement was superior for linear-array transducer, which leads to more a homogeneous and reproducible interpretation.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/12/4/798contrast-enhanced ultrasoundbreast cancerlinear-array transducerconvex-array transducer |
| spellingShingle | Ioana Boca (Bene) Anca Ileana Ciurea Cristiana Augusta Ciortea Ștefan Cristian Vesa Sorin Marian Dudea Comparison of Linear and Convex-Array Transducers in Assessing the Enhancement Characteristics of Suspicious Breast Lesions at Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound (CEUS) Diagnostics contrast-enhanced ultrasound breast cancer linear-array transducer convex-array transducer |
| title | Comparison of Linear and Convex-Array Transducers in Assessing the Enhancement Characteristics of Suspicious Breast Lesions at Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound (CEUS) |
| title_full | Comparison of Linear and Convex-Array Transducers in Assessing the Enhancement Characteristics of Suspicious Breast Lesions at Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound (CEUS) |
| title_fullStr | Comparison of Linear and Convex-Array Transducers in Assessing the Enhancement Characteristics of Suspicious Breast Lesions at Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound (CEUS) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Comparison of Linear and Convex-Array Transducers in Assessing the Enhancement Characteristics of Suspicious Breast Lesions at Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound (CEUS) |
| title_short | Comparison of Linear and Convex-Array Transducers in Assessing the Enhancement Characteristics of Suspicious Breast Lesions at Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound (CEUS) |
| title_sort | comparison of linear and convex array transducers in assessing the enhancement characteristics of suspicious breast lesions at contrast enhanced ultrasound ceus |
| topic | contrast-enhanced ultrasound breast cancer linear-array transducer convex-array transducer |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/12/4/798 |
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