Background: Our aim in this study is to evaluate the inter- and
intraobserver correlation of the different shear-wave elastography (SWE)
parameters (stiffness) in both control and pathological groups.
Methods: Evaluations of cervical stiffness
measurements were performed in 39 non-pregnant patients (21 cases without
gynecological pathology and other 18 cases with cervical preinvasive cervical
lesion susceptible to conization) aged between 18–65 years old, without vaginal
infection other than HPV and without another gynecological pathology. We used SWE
(shear modulus) endovaginal ultrasound. We performed the evaluation in the
midsagittal plane of the uterine cervix with measurements at 0.5, 1 and 1.5 cm
from external cervical OS, in both anterior and posterior cervical lips as well
as the cervical canal. Sonoelastography was performed by two examiners, each one
making two separate assessments of uterine cervical stiffness using SWE, in one
single visit. Interclass correlation coefficients (ICC) with 95% CIs were used
to assess intra and interobserver measurements repeatability.
Results: We obtained an adequate intra and interobserver
correlation (ICC 0.996–0.999) of stiffness in all anatomical sites both in
normal and pathologic cervix (p
