Intraobserver and Interobserver Variability of Transesophageal Echocardiography in Aortic Arch Atheroma Measurement

Abstract

Background: The risk of stroke associated with aortic arch atheroma is proportional to plaque thickness, the accurate measurement of which may influence future therapeutic decisions. Transesophageal echocardiography is the procedure of choice for plaque measurement. This study examines the reproducibility of such measurements within the context of the Aortic Arch Related Cerebral Hazard Trial of antithrombotic therapy. Methods: Atheroma images were remeasured by 3 independent blinded observers of varying expertise. Intraobserver and interobserver variability were calculated using Lin's concordance correlation coefficient (ρ-c), the Bland-Altman method, and the κ statistic. Results: A total o..