General | From nodes to lobes: Decoding head and neck with ultrasound (cont.)
Tracks
Rm 6 | Virtual
General
International Keynote
| Friday, May 29, 2026 |
| 4:00 PM - 4:50 PM |
| Rm 6 | First Floor |
Speaker
Miss Zihan (Jessica) Yan
Sonographer
Prp Diagnostic Imaging
Impact of 2D-shear wave elastography "confidence map": A pilot study on patients with chronic hepatitis
4:00 PM - 4:10 PMPresentation Synopsis / Abstract
Introduction: Patients with chronic hepatitis are in high demand for 2D-shear wave elastography (2D-SWE) modality for longitudinal monitoring as a non-invasive tool to assess liver stiffness. Therefore, software such as “confidence map” are being developed to improve the accuracy and consistency of the measurements. The aim of this research study was to evaluate the impact of “confidence map” on the intra- and inter- operator repeatability of 2D-SWE in patients with chronic hepatitis.
Methods: A prospective, blinded study was performed on 30 patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infection using a Philips Epiq ultrasound system. Two experienced sonographers each acquired five right hepatic lobe measurements with and without (blinded) the confidence map enabled. Blinding was achieved by covering the on-screen measurement readings with a sticky note, a method not reported in the published literature. Median shear wave values were analysed using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and standard deviation (SD) to assess repeatability, and paired t-tests to compare inter-operator differences.
Results: As a result, when the confidence map was applied, intra-operator repeatability increased and inter-operator repeatability was not significantly impacted.
Conclusion: The results suggest that the confidence map may improve individual operator reliability and measurements consistency in 2D-SWE. Its impact on inter-operator consistency needs further validation in larger, more diverse cohorts with histopathologic or Magnetic Resonance Imaging correlation.
Take Home message: Training in using new software is necessary to ensure continual improvement, consistency and reliability of measurements. More studies should be conducted to validate the software.
Methods: A prospective, blinded study was performed on 30 patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infection using a Philips Epiq ultrasound system. Two experienced sonographers each acquired five right hepatic lobe measurements with and without (blinded) the confidence map enabled. Blinding was achieved by covering the on-screen measurement readings with a sticky note, a method not reported in the published literature. Median shear wave values were analysed using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and standard deviation (SD) to assess repeatability, and paired t-tests to compare inter-operator differences.
Results: As a result, when the confidence map was applied, intra-operator repeatability increased and inter-operator repeatability was not significantly impacted.
Conclusion: The results suggest that the confidence map may improve individual operator reliability and measurements consistency in 2D-SWE. Its impact on inter-operator consistency needs further validation in larger, more diverse cohorts with histopathologic or Magnetic Resonance Imaging correlation.
Take Home message: Training in using new software is necessary to ensure continual improvement, consistency and reliability of measurements. More studies should be conducted to validate the software.
Biography
Miss Zihan (Jessica) Yan |
Prp Diagnostic Imaging
Jessica Yan, a dedicated general sonographer working at PRP Diagnostic Imaging, committed to advancing her imaging knowledge and skills.
Mrs Catherine Kirkpatrick
President Elect; Consultant Sonographer
BMUS; United Lincolnshire Hospitals
A compendium of usual findings in the head and neck - not everything's a lymph node
4:10 AM - 4:30 AMPresentation Synopsis / Abstract
This presentation draws on a compendium of case studies involving patients referred for neck ultrasound with suspected abnormal lymph nodes or lesions initially reported as lymph nodes. Through review and discussion, the session will challenge the assumption that all neck lumps represent lymphadenopathy. By examining diverse pathological entities and their sonographic characteristics, the presentation aims to enhance diagnostic accuracy and critical appraisal skills in neck imaging.
Biography
Mrs Catherine Kirkpatrick |
BMUS; United Lincolnshire Hospitals
Currently, I am a Consultant Sonographer, Clinical Lead and Lead Consultant Radiographer for Advanced Practice in NHS practice. In addition, I have been a BMUS elected council member since 2015 previously served as BMUS Hon Treasurer and Professional Development Officer before being elected into my current position of President Elect of BMUS. I have been lead author and expert panel member on many nationally published guidelines including NICE. Special interests lie in Head & Neck, Interventional Ultrasound including intra and extra cavity biopsies and drainages, MSK ultrasound and USG MSK therapeutic intervention. Governance and Standards. Out of work I'm an competitive netball player, runner and triathlete when I'm not injured!
Dr Susan Jawad
Consultant Head And Neck Radiologist
University College London Hospitals
Oral cavity ultrasound
4:30 PM - 4:50 PMBiography
Dr Susan Jawad |
University College London Hospitals
Susan completed core training in clinical radiology at St. George’s Hospital, she went on to complete her fellowship in head and neck imaging and was appointed as a substantive consultant at UCLH, which together with the sister units at the Royal National Throat Nose and Ear Hospital and the Eastman Dental Hospital, form the largest head and neck unit in the UK. Susan graduated with a distinction in clinical practice and clinical sciences from Imperial College London.
She a Fellow of the Royal College of Radiologists and a member of the British Society of Head and Neck Imaging and the European Society of Head and Neck Radiology. Susan has co-authored radiological textbooks, including publications in the field of head and neck imaging and has led a course teaching head and neck ultrasound to other ultrasound practitioners.
She has extensive experience in multimodality imaging of the head and neck for both adult and paediatric patients, for the whole range of head and neck subspecialties, including oncology, rhinology, otology, audio-vestibular disease, oral medicine and thyroid and parathyroid disease. Susan was one of the first radiologists in the UK to practice ultrasound guided radiofrequency ablation of benign thyroid nodules.
