Donald School Journal of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology

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VOLUME 6 , ISSUE 3 ( July-September, 2012 ) > List of Articles

RESEARCH ARTICLE

Accuracy and Reliability of Volume Measurements by 3D Ultrasound: A Prospective Study Performed by Novices

Tho Quynh Nguyen, Melanie Flores, Melchor Ortiz, Soyoung Lee, Zuber D Mulla

Keywords : 3D ultrasound,2D ultrasound,VOCALTM,Novice

Citation Information : Nguyen TQ, Flores M, Ortiz M, Lee S, Mulla ZD. Accuracy and Reliability of Volume Measurements by 3D Ultrasound: A Prospective Study Performed by Novices. Donald School J Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2012; 6 (3):219-224.

DOI: 10.5005/jp-journals-10009-1245

License: CC BY-NC 4.0

Published Online: 01-06-2013

Copyright Statement:  Copyright © 2012; The Author(s).


Abstract

Purpose

This study evaluates the accuracy and reliability of off-line volume measurement using virtual organ computer-aided analysis (VOCALTM) and two-dimensional (2D) ultrasound by novices.

Methods

Thirty medical students, 15 sonographers and three experts were recruited to measure a liver, a gestational sac and a breast cancer lesion using 2D ultrasound and threedimensional (3D) VOCALTM method. The VOCALTM measurements produced by the experts were used as the gold standard for comparison. Accuracy and reliability were assessed by analysis of variance followed by a mean separation procedure.

Results

The t-test revealed with statistical significance that in measuring the liver, students outperformed sonographers regardless of 2D or VOCALTM methods; also, VOCALTM generated more accurate measurements than 2D ultrasound in both groups. In regards to the gestational sac, students continued to perform well with both 2D and VOCALTM while the sonographers were accurate by using VOCALTM only. Both groups of novices were not accurate with measuring the breast lesion. VOCALTM increased the novices’ interobserver reliability but not intraobserver reliability.

Conclusion

Students and sonographers can measure regularly shaped structures, such as the gestational sac accurately and reliably using VOCALTM. VOCALTM increased interobserver reliability in all groups of operators.

How to cite this article

Nguyen TQ, Flores M, Ortiz M, Lee S, Mulla ZD, Plavsic SK. Accuracy and Reliability of Volume Measurements by 3D Ultrasound: A Prospective Study Performed by Novices. Donald School J Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2012;6(3):219-224.


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