Reproducibility of shear wave velocity measurements by acoustic radiation force impulse imaging of the liver: a study in healthy volunteers.

Objectives: The purposes of this study were to investigate interobserver reproducibility using acoustic radiation force impulse imaging and to develop an acoustic radiation force impulse scoring system.

Methods: Fifty healthy volunteers with normal liver function test values were selected for the study. Shear wave velocity measurements, expressed in meters per second, were taken in a deep portion of liver segment 6. Two observers with different levels of experience performed the measurements independently and blindly.

Results: All of the measurements taken by the 2 observers were valid, even in volunteers with a body mass index of greater than 28 kg/m(2). The results point to very good interobserver reproducibility of shear wave velocity measurements, with an intraclass coefficient correlation of 0.86 (P < .001).

Conclusions: The results of this study show that shear wave velocity measurements using the acoustic radiation force impulse technique and a standardized protocol are accurate and reproducible.