REPRODUCIBILITY OF DOPPLER MEASUREMENTS OF BLOOD-FLOW VELOCITY IN THEUTERINE AND OVARIAN ARTERIES IN PREMENOPAUSAL WOMEN

Intra- and interobserver reproducibility of Doppler measurements of th e pulsatility index (PI) and time-averaged maximum velocity (TAMXV) in the uterine and ovarian arteries were evaluated in examinations of he althy premenopausal women. Each woman underwent reproducibility measur ements once in the late follicular phase and once in the midluteal pha se, Intraobserver repeatability was assessed in examinations of 12 wom en, three replicate Doppler measurements being made by one observer in the same vessel, Interobserver agreement was assessed by comparing th e results of Doppler measurements made by two investigators in 11 wome n. The intraclass correlation coefficient (Intra-CC) was 0.78 for the TAMXV in the dominant uterine artery in the follicular phase and 0.82 for the PI in the wall of the dominant follicle. For all other measure ments the Intra-CC was <0.75, indicating poor reproducibility. The int erclass correlation coefficient (Inter-CC) was >0.75 (0.79 to 0.88) fo r the PI and TAMXV in the dominant uterine artery in the follicular ph ase and for the PT of both uterine arteries in the luteal phase. For a ll other measurements the Inter-CC was <0.75.