Observer variability assessing US scans of the preterm brain: The ELGAN Study

Karl Kuban, Ira Adler, Elizabeth N Allred, Daniel Batton, Steven Bezinque, Bradford W Betz, Ellen Cavenagh, Sara Durfee, Kirsten Ecklund, Kate Feinstein, Lynn Ansley Fordham, Frederick Hampf, Joseph Junewick, Robert Lorenzo, Roy McCauley, Cindy Miller, Joanna Seibert, Barbara Specter, Jacqueline Wellman, Sjirk Westra, Alan Leviton

Pediatric Radiology 2007;37:1201-8.

PubMed Link

We sought to evaluate observer variability among experienced neurosonologists. We collected all protocol US scans of 1,450 infants born before the 28th postmenstrual week. Each set of scans read by 2 sonologists for presence of IVH and mod/sev vmeg, & EL &EG: in WM. Scans read discordantly sent to a tie-breaking third sonologist.

Vmeg, EL and IVH had similar rates of positive agreement (68-76%), negative agreement (92-97%), and kappa values (0.62 to 0.68). EG had lower values of positive agreement (48%), negative agreement (84%), and kappa (0.32).

ELGAN