Jonathan S Thierman et al 2006 Phys. Med. Biol. 51 3419 doi:10.1088/0031-9155/51/14/010
Jonathan S Thierman1,7, Gregory T Clement2,7, Leslie A Kalish3,7, Patrick L O'Kane4, Ferdinand Frauscher5 and Harriet J Paltiel6,7,8
Show affiliationsContrast-enhanced ultrasound (US) imaging is potentially applicable to the investigation of vascular disorders of the testis. We investigated the ability of two automated computer algorithms to analyse contrast-enhanced pulse inversion US data in a rabbit model of unilateral testicular ischaemia and to correctly determine relative testicular perfusion: nonlinear curve fitting of the US backscatter intensity as a function of time; and spectral analysis of the intensity time trace. We compared (i) five metrics based on the algorithmic data to testicular perfusion ratios obtained with radiolabelled microspheres, a reference standard; (ii) qualitative assessment of the US images by two independent readers blinded to the side of the experimental and control testes to the radiolabelled microsphere perfusion ratios; and (iii) results of the algorithmically-derived metrics to the qualitative assessments of the two readers. For the curve fit method, the algorithmically-derived metrics agreed with the reference standard in 54% to 68% of all cases. For the spectral method, the results agreed in 70% of all cases. The two readers agreed with the reference standard in 40% and 35% of all cases, respectively. These results suggest that automated methods of analysis may provide useful information in the assessment of testicular perfusion.
02.60.Ed Interpolation; curve fitting
43.80.Qf Medical diagnosis with acoustics (in PACS, see also 87.63.D−)
43.80.Vj Acoustical medical instrumentation and measurement techniques
Issue 14 (21 July 2006)
Received 4 January 2006, in final form 21 April 2006
Published 23 June 2006
Jonathan S Thierman et al 2006 Phys. Med. Biol. 51 3419
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