The interobserver reliability of three-dimensional power Doppler data acquisition within the female pelvis

To examine the interobserver reliability of three-dimensional (3D) power Doppler data acquisition from the uterus and ovary.

3D power Doppler angiography was used to acquire endometrial data from 20 patients and ovarian data from a further 20 different patients at various stages of in vitro fertilization. Two different observers each acquired two datasets from all 40 patients resulting in 80 endometrial and 80 ovarian datasets in total. Virtual Organ Computer-aided AnaLysis was used to define the object of interest and semiquantify the power Doppler signal within it. The reliability of measurements of volume and vascularity was assessed by calculating interclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) and limits of agreement between the two observers.

Whilst volumetric data proved more reliably acquirable than power Doppler data, the interobserver reliability of data acquisition was high overall for both the endometrium and ovary with all measurements obtaining a lower ICC of above 0.9. Limits of agreement revealed minimal disagreement between the two observers for measurements of volume and vascularity within both the ovary and endometrium. The 'indices of vascularity' within the endometrium were less than those derived from the ovary and subendometrium, which were comparable.

3D ultrasound can be reliably used between observers to acquire power Doppler information from the ovary and endometrium thus supporting the current use and further development of this technique in clinical practice.