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A Computer Program for Assessing Histoanatomical Morphometrics in Ultra-High-Frequency Ultrasound Images of the Bowel Wall in Children : Development and Inter-Observer Variability

Erlöv, Tobias LU ; Hawez, Tebin LU ; Granéli, Christina LU ; Evertsson, Maria LU ; Jansson, Tomas LU ; Stenström, Pernilla LU orcid and Cinthio, Magnus LU (2023) In Diagnostics 13(17).
Abstract

Ultra-high-frequency ultrasound (UHFUS) has a reported potential to differentiate between aganglionic and ganglionic bowel wall, referred to as histoanatomical differences. A good correlation between histoanatomy and UHFUS of the bowel wall has been proven. In order to perform more precise and objective histoanatomical morphometrics, the main research objective of this study was to develop a computer program for the assessment and automatic calculation of the histoanatomical morphometrics of the bowel wall in UHFUS images. A computer program for UHFUS diagnostics was developed and presented. A user interface was developed in close collaboration between pediatric surgeons and biomedical engineers, to enable interaction with UHFUS images.... (More)

Ultra-high-frequency ultrasound (UHFUS) has a reported potential to differentiate between aganglionic and ganglionic bowel wall, referred to as histoanatomical differences. A good correlation between histoanatomy and UHFUS of the bowel wall has been proven. In order to perform more precise and objective histoanatomical morphometrics, the main research objective of this study was to develop a computer program for the assessment and automatic calculation of the histoanatomical morphometrics of the bowel wall in UHFUS images. A computer program for UHFUS diagnostics was developed and presented. A user interface was developed in close collaboration between pediatric surgeons and biomedical engineers, to enable interaction with UHFUS images. Images from ex vivo bowel wall samples of 23 children with recto-sigmoid Hirschsprung’s disease were inserted. The program calculated both thickness and amplitudes (image whiteness) within different histoanatomical bowel wall layers. Two observers assessed the images using the program and the inter-observer variability was evaluated. There was an excellent agreement between observers, with an intraclass correlation coefficient range of 0.970–0.998. Bland–Altman plots showed flat and narrow distributions. The mean differences ranged from 0.005 to 0.016 mm in thickness and 0 to 0.7 in amplitude units, corresponding to 1.1–3.6% and 0.0–0.8% from the overall mean. The computer program enables and ensures objective, accurate and time-efficient measurements of histoanatomical thicknesses and amplitudes in UHFUS images of the bowel wall. The program can potentially be used for several bowel wall conditions, accelerating research within UHFUS diagnostics.

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author
; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
bowel wall, computer program, histoanatomical morphometrics, ultra-high-frequency ultrasound
in
Diagnostics
volume
13
issue
17
article number
2759
pages
9 pages
publisher
MDPI AG
external identifiers
  • pmid:37685297
  • scopus:85170354561
ISSN
2075-4418
DOI
10.3390/diagnostics13172759
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
Publisher Copyright: © 2023 by the authors.
id
bef11896-f38a-477a-a2ac-5ac74166f0d1
date added to LUP
2023-12-11 13:24:49
date last changed
2024-04-24 06:52:52
@article{bef11896-f38a-477a-a2ac-5ac74166f0d1,
  abstract     = {{<p>Ultra-high-frequency ultrasound (UHFUS) has a reported potential to differentiate between aganglionic and ganglionic bowel wall, referred to as histoanatomical differences. A good correlation between histoanatomy and UHFUS of the bowel wall has been proven. In order to perform more precise and objective histoanatomical morphometrics, the main research objective of this study was to develop a computer program for the assessment and automatic calculation of the histoanatomical morphometrics of the bowel wall in UHFUS images. A computer program for UHFUS diagnostics was developed and presented. A user interface was developed in close collaboration between pediatric surgeons and biomedical engineers, to enable interaction with UHFUS images. Images from ex vivo bowel wall samples of 23 children with recto-sigmoid Hirschsprung’s disease were inserted. The program calculated both thickness and amplitudes (image whiteness) within different histoanatomical bowel wall layers. Two observers assessed the images using the program and the inter-observer variability was evaluated. There was an excellent agreement between observers, with an intraclass correlation coefficient range of 0.970–0.998. Bland–Altman plots showed flat and narrow distributions. The mean differences ranged from 0.005 to 0.016 mm in thickness and 0 to 0.7 in amplitude units, corresponding to 1.1–3.6% and 0.0–0.8% from the overall mean. The computer program enables and ensures objective, accurate and time-efficient measurements of histoanatomical thicknesses and amplitudes in UHFUS images of the bowel wall. The program can potentially be used for several bowel wall conditions, accelerating research within UHFUS diagnostics.</p>}},
  author       = {{Erlöv, Tobias and Hawez, Tebin and Granéli, Christina and Evertsson, Maria and Jansson, Tomas and Stenström, Pernilla and Cinthio, Magnus}},
  issn         = {{2075-4418}},
  keywords     = {{bowel wall; computer program; histoanatomical morphometrics; ultra-high-frequency ultrasound}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{17}},
  publisher    = {{MDPI AG}},
  series       = {{Diagnostics}},
  title        = {{A Computer Program for Assessing Histoanatomical Morphometrics in Ultra-High-Frequency Ultrasound Images of the Bowel Wall in Children : Development and Inter-Observer Variability}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics13172759}},
  doi          = {{10.3390/diagnostics13172759}},
  volume       = {{13}},
  year         = {{2023}},
}