Relation of Color Doppler Twinkling Artifact and Scale or Pulse Repetition Frequency

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to determine the effect of scale/pulse repetition frequency (PRF) on the appearance of color Doppler twinkling artifact. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We commenced this cross-sectional study for 20 months from November 2014 to July 2016. During routine ultrasound examination, we observed multiple case of twinkling artifact produced by renal stones, calcifications in the thyroid nodules, bony fragments and intestinal gases, etc., We observed twinkling artifact with low- and high-PRF settings in 500 different structures. A total of 500 other structures were included wherein there was no Doppler twinkling artifact produced by them, with usual optimum PRF settings. These structures were also evaluated with low- and high-PRF to determine the effect of PRF on twinkling artifact effectively. All the patients were examined according to the AIUM guideline for appropriate examination protocol. Data were collected from the observation of twinkling artifact with low- and high-PRF/scale and evaluated with the help of IBM SPSS 24 package, the results were summarized as follow. RESULTS: Change in scale/PRF could not affect the twinkling artifact. The twinkling artifact observed with low-PRF was the same as seen with high-PRF. There was a significant agreement between low- and high-PRF in the production of color twinkling artifact. The kappa value of agreement was estimated as 0.96, whereas the Pearson's correlation was significant with the value of 0.001. Same twinkling artifact was created with low- and high-PRF, with no significant variation. CONCLUSION: Twinkling artifact is independent of PRF/Scale.