Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Improved reliability of ultrasonic surveillance of abdominal aortic aneurysms

Länne, T ; Sandgren, T ; Mangell, Peter LU ; Sonesson, Björn LU and Hansen, F (1997) In European Journal of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery 13(2). p.149-153
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Small abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) are usually managed conservatively by serial ultrasound examinations to assess size. The development of the size of the AAA will determine whether the patient is a candidate for surgery. The precision of measurement is therefore of considerable importance. The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy and the reproducibility of a newly developed echo-tracking ultrasonic system in the size evaluation of AAA. DESIGN: Prospective study at a University Hospital. MATERIAL AND METHODS: An echo-tracking ultrasound system with a 3.5 MHz transducer was used in 54 patients with AAA. Thirty-six patients had repeated measurements by one technician to evaluate the intra-observer variability. In... (More)
OBJECTIVES: Small abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) are usually managed conservatively by serial ultrasound examinations to assess size. The development of the size of the AAA will determine whether the patient is a candidate for surgery. The precision of measurement is therefore of considerable importance. The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy and the reproducibility of a newly developed echo-tracking ultrasonic system in the size evaluation of AAA. DESIGN: Prospective study at a University Hospital. MATERIAL AND METHODS: An echo-tracking ultrasound system with a 3.5 MHz transducer was used in 54 patients with AAA. Thirty-six patients had repeated measurements by one technician to evaluate the intra-observer variability. In another 18 patients with aortic dilatation/AAA, the measurements were repeated by a second technician in a blinded fashion with calculation of inter-observer variability. The reproducibility was evaluated both using linear regression and plots according to the method described by Bland and Altman. RESULTS: The mean diameter of the aorta was 37 mm (range 21-51 mm). The coefficient of correlation of repetitive measurements with one observer was r = 0.99 and with two observers r = 0.99. The intra-observer variability was 0.78 mm (S.D.) and the inter-observer variability 0.93 mm (S.D.). The intra- and inter-observer coefficient of variation (CV) was 2-3%. CONCLUSIONS: The newly developed echo-tracking ultrasonography seems at present to be the most accurate and reliable method to follow the diameter of an abdominal aortic aneurysm detecting relevant changes in the diameter exceeding 2 mm (2 S.D.). Thus it fulfils the requirements both for follow-up of conservatively managed AAAs and endovascularly treated aneurysms. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Ultrasonography, Echo-tracking, Abdominal aortic aneurysm, Aneurysm surveillance
in
European Journal of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery
volume
13
issue
2
pages
149 - 153
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • pmid:9091147
  • scopus:0030936871
ISSN
1532-2165
DOI
10.1016/S1078-5884(97)80011-1
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
The information about affiliations in this record was updated in December 2015. The record was previously connected to the following departments: Surgery Research Unit (013242220), Emergency medicine/Medicine/Surgery (013240200)
id
fc859c3d-e419-4675-8787-1b4cd0ac4d56 (old id 1112024)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 15:52:23
date last changed
2022-01-28 07:44:08
@article{fc859c3d-e419-4675-8787-1b4cd0ac4d56,
  abstract     = {{OBJECTIVES: Small abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) are usually managed conservatively by serial ultrasound examinations to assess size. The development of the size of the AAA will determine whether the patient is a candidate for surgery. The precision of measurement is therefore of considerable importance. The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy and the reproducibility of a newly developed echo-tracking ultrasonic system in the size evaluation of AAA. DESIGN: Prospective study at a University Hospital. MATERIAL AND METHODS: An echo-tracking ultrasound system with a 3.5 MHz transducer was used in 54 patients with AAA. Thirty-six patients had repeated measurements by one technician to evaluate the intra-observer variability. In another 18 patients with aortic dilatation/AAA, the measurements were repeated by a second technician in a blinded fashion with calculation of inter-observer variability. The reproducibility was evaluated both using linear regression and plots according to the method described by Bland and Altman. RESULTS: The mean diameter of the aorta was 37 mm (range 21-51 mm). The coefficient of correlation of repetitive measurements with one observer was r = 0.99 and with two observers r = 0.99. The intra-observer variability was 0.78 mm (S.D.) and the inter-observer variability 0.93 mm (S.D.). The intra- and inter-observer coefficient of variation (CV) was 2-3%. CONCLUSIONS: The newly developed echo-tracking ultrasonography seems at present to be the most accurate and reliable method to follow the diameter of an abdominal aortic aneurysm detecting relevant changes in the diameter exceeding 2 mm (2 S.D.). Thus it fulfils the requirements both for follow-up of conservatively managed AAAs and endovascularly treated aneurysms.}},
  author       = {{Länne, T and Sandgren, T and Mangell, Peter and Sonesson, Björn and Hansen, F}},
  issn         = {{1532-2165}},
  keywords     = {{Ultrasonography; Echo-tracking; Abdominal aortic aneurysm; Aneurysm surveillance}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{149--153}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{European Journal of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery}},
  title        = {{Improved reliability of ultrasonic surveillance of abdominal aortic aneurysms}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S1078-5884(97)80011-1}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/S1078-5884(97)80011-1}},
  volume       = {{13}},
  year         = {{1997}},
}