Inter-software reliability and agreement for follicular and luteal morphometric and echotextural ultrasonographic parameters in beef cattle

This study aimed to compare the inter-software and inter-observer reliability and agreement for the assessment of follicular and luteal morphometry and echotexture parameters in beef crossbreed females (3/8 Bos taurus indicus and 5/8 Bos taurus taurus). B-mode and color Doppler ultrasonographic ovarian images were obtained at specific time points of estradiol-progesterone-based protocols for timed artificial insemination (TAI). Sonograms were analyzed by two observers using a licensed (IASP1) and an open access (IASP2) software package. A total of 292 snap-shot sonograms were analyzed for morphometric parameters and 504 for echotexture parameters. inter-software reliability was judged moderate to excellent (ICC or CCC=0.73–0.98), whereas inter-observer reliability for morphometric parameters was deemed good to excellent (ICC or CCC=0.82–0.98). A small percentage (up to 10.95 %) of measured parameters fell outside the limits of inter-software and inter-observer agreement. For echotexture parameters, inter-software reliability varied widely (ICC or CCC=0.16–0.95) based on the size of regions of interest (ROI), while inter-observer reliability ranged from moderate to excellent (ICC or CCC= 0.71–0.97). The highest inter-software reliability for pixel value and heterogeneity value was observed for the corpus luteum (ICCs=0.81–0.95; P>0.05), followed by the peripheral follicular antrum (ICCs=0.75–0.78; P