Objective:

To evaluate the reproducibility of shear wave elasticity (SWE) imaging in breast lesions at different depths.

Methods:

Two senior

sonographers trained by SWE were used to measure the elastic maximum (E max ) of 76 breast lesions at different depths

respectively. Interclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to compare the intra-examiners and inter-examiners reproducibility

and Bland-Altman plot analysis was performed to evaluate the reproducibility again.

Results:

Among 76 breast lesions

there was no statistical significance in the E max of the same lesion measured by the same patient before and after examination or the same lesion measured by different examination (

P

＞0.05). The intra-examiners and inter-examiners reproducibility of SWE measurements was very good in lesions 1-3 cm from the surface of the body

with ICC values of 0.945 (95% CI 0.892-0.972

P

=0.592) and 0.946 (95% CI 0.895-0.973

P

=0.444)

respectively. The intra-examiners and inter-examiners reproducibility of SWE measurements was good in lesions 0-1 cm from the surface of the body

with ICC values of 0.746 (95% CI 0.502-0.870

P

=0.062) and 0.707 (95% CI 0.426-0.851

P

=0.478)

respectively. The Bland-Altman scatter plot

for lesions located 1-3 cm from the body surface

the measurement value difference of the intra-examiners and inter-examiners 95% CI were -2.986-1.729 and -3.279-1.468

respectively. For lesions located 0-1 cm from the body surface

the measurement value difference of the intra-examiners and inter- examiners 95% CI were -0.268-10.352 and -7.857-3.756

respectively. The measurement value difference of the intra-examiners and inter-examiners 95% CI of lesions located 1-3 cm away from the body surface were narrower than those located at 0-1 cm.

Conclusion:

The reproducibility of SWE in the measurement of breast lesions is generally good

and the lesions located 1-3 cm from the surface of the body are better than those located 0-1cm from the surface of the body.