Key result
Non-contrast MRI measurements of pancreas volume were highly repeatable (ICC 0.985) and reproducible between two readers (ICC 0.945), and were not affected by changes in stomach volume.
Why the study?
Reduced pancreas volume measured by non-contrast MRI is observed in newly-diagnosed type 1 diabetes, but the repeatability and inter-reader reproducibility of these measurements needed determination.
Does non-contrast MRI provide repeatable and reproducible measurements of pancreas volume in individuals with and without type 1 diabetes?
Observational (n=16)
Blinded readers
No
Does non-contrast MRI provide repeatable and reproducible measurements of pancreas volume in individuals with and without type 1 diabetes?
MRI measurements of pancreas volume are highly repeatable and reproducible between readers, and are not influenced by stomach volume, supporting their use as a reliable biomarker in clinical investigations of diabetes.
MRI pancreas volumetry shows excellent repeatability; supports longitudinal T1D research but leaves clinical adoption open.
Reduced pancreas volume, as measured by non-contrast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), is observed in individuals with newly-diagnosed type 1 diabetes (T1D) and declines over the first year after diagnosis. In this study, we determined the repeatability and inter-reader reproducibility of pancreas volume measurements by MRI. Test-retest scans in individuals with or without T1D (n = 16) had an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of 0.985 (95% CI 0.961 to 0.995) for pancreas volume. Independent pancreas outlines by two board-certified radiologists (n = 30) yielded an ICC of 0.945 (95% CI 0.889 to 0.973). The mean Dice coefficient, a measurement of the degree of overlap between pancreas regions of interest between the two readers, was 0.77. Prandial state did not influence pancreatic measurements, as stomach volume did not correlate with pancreas volume. These data demonstrate that MRI measurements of pancreas volume between two readers are repeatable and reproducible with ICCs that correspond to excellent clinical significance (ICC > 0.9), are not related to changes in stomach volume, and could be a useful tool for clinical investigation of diabetes and other pancreas pathologies.
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Williams et al. (2020) conducted an observational in Type 1 diabetes (n=16). Non-contrast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was evaluated on Test-retest repeatability of pancreas volume measurements (ICC 0.985, 95% CI 0.961-0.995). Non-contrast MRI measurements of pancreas volume were highly repeatable (ICC 0.985) and reproducible between two readers (ICC 0.945), and were not affected by changes in stomach volume.
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