Peer Review History

Original SubmissionAugust 29, 2019

Attachments
Attachment
Submitted filename: Response to editors.docx
Decision Letter - Roberto Coppola, Editor

PONE-D-19-22390

Sonographic Measurement of normal Common Bile Duct Diameter and its correlation with Age, Sex and Anthropometric measurement at University of Gondar comprehensive hospital and selected private imaging center in Gondar town, North West Ethiopia.

PLOS ONE

Dear Mr Worku,

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We look forward to receiving your revised manuscript.

Kind regards,

Roberto Coppola, MD, FACS

Academic Editor

PLOS ONE

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1. Please amend either the title on the online submission form (via Edit Submission) or the title in the manuscript so that they are identical.

2. We note you have included a table to which you do not refer in the text of your manuscript. Please ensure that you refer to Tables 6 & 7 in your text; if accepted, production will need this reference to link the reader to the Table.

3. Please ensure that you refer to Figures 1-6 in your text as, if accepted, production will need this reference to link the reader to the figure.

Additional Editor Comments (if provided):

This is a very interesting paper. The knowledge of the variation of the CBD diameter according to the age of the subject is not new. But the Authors have investigated this simple but crucial data in a very thorough modality. Thy have measured by US the common bile duct of 206 subjects enrolled in a precise statistical modality. The subjects were normal and investigated at the Hospital for other reasons than biliary diseases. The majority of the subjects were young, maybe according to the age population of this district. The sample size estimation was correct. They have also performed a correct US examination with precise landmarks before measure the CBD size. They have tried to minimize any measurement errors.

The analysis of the data is very accurate. The results are reported with clear explanation in multiple tables and graphs. In the "discussion" paragraph many previous studies on this issue are reported and the data are compared. Interesting the look at the demographic and anthropologic aspect of the evolution of the CBD in their Region. The conclusions are fully supported by the data.

The paper is very easy to read, interesting and I think useful for our readers.

I suggest to add at the and of the Discussion a comment on the limitations of this study, considering the age of the subjects, the technical aspect of this type of measure and else.

One final question for the Authors: do you have performed chemical analysis (liver functional test) of these subjects to completely rule out any liver alteration?

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Reviewers' comments:

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Revision 1

Dear PLOS ONE editors and reviewers,

We would like to thank for sharing their views and novel scholarly experiences. The comments are very imperative which we strongly believe in improving the manuscript. The point-by-point responses for each of the comments, questions, and the revised manuscript is provided in the attached documents.

Editors and reviewers comments,

1. Please amend either the title on the online submission form (via Edit Submission) or the title in the manuscript so that they are identical.

2. We note you have included a table to which you do not refer in the text of your manuscript. Please ensure that you refer to Tables 6 & 7 in your text; if accepted, production will need this reference to link the reader to the Table.

3. Please ensure that you refer to Figures 1-6 in your text as, if accepted, production will need this reference to link the reader to the figure.

4. Do you have performed chemical analysis (liver functional test) of these subjects to completely rule out any liver alteration?

Author’s response,

1. The comment accepted and the title amended on the online submission and become identical with the title of the main manuscript. The figure files also uploaded to the Preflight Analysis and Conversion Engine (PACE) digital diagnostic tool as TIFF form.

2. Dear PLOSE ONE editorial the comment question raised by your editorial accepted the table and figures which were not previously referred now referred and included in the full text.

3. The file previously included (declaration part) which is out of PLOSE ONE format also excluded in the revised manuscript.

4. Dear reviewers, in our study chemical analysis were not done rather reviewed from the chart and patient having positive results were primarily excluded since it is usually done as a base line investigation. In addition patients having hepatobiliary abnormality that had an effect on our study are excluded by detail history, physical examination and reviewing the medical history including any chemical analysis done and finally through ultrasonographic investigation by a senior radiologist. So Patients having positive results were primarily excluded from our study participants and patients having no chemical analysis like liver function test as a baseline investigation were appropriately examined. During ultrasound investigation patients having positive findings associated with the hepatobiliary system were also excluded. After all this process and exclusion of patients having problem related to the hepatobiliary system, the common bile duct diameter was measured by a single radiologist.

Attachments
Attachment
Submitted filename: Response to reviewer.docx
Decision Letter - Roberto Coppola, Editor

Sonographic Measurement of normal Common Bile Duct Diameter and associated factors at the University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital and selected private imaging center in Gondar town, North West Ethiopia.

PONE-D-19-22390R1

Dear Dr. Worku,

We are pleased to inform you that your manuscript has been judged scientifically suitable for publication and will be formally accepted for publication once it complies with all outstanding technical requirements.

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With kind regards,

Roberto Coppola, MD, FACS

Academic Editor

PLOS ONE

Additional Editor Comments (optional):

The Authors have added a paragraph concerning the limitations of the study. The content of this paragraph is sufficient according to previous request. But the entire paragraph must be reviewed for the English language.

Reviewers' comments:

Formally Accepted
Acceptance Letter - Roberto Coppola, Editor

PONE-D-19-22390R1

Sonographic Measurement of normal Common Bile Duct Diameter and associated factors at the University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital and selected private imaging center in Gondar town, North West Ethiopia.

Dear Dr. Worku:

I am pleased to inform you that your manuscript has been deemed suitable for publication in PLOS ONE. Congratulations! Your manuscript is now with our production department.

If your institution or institutions have a press office, please notify them about your upcoming paper at this point, to enable them to help maximize its impact. If they will be preparing press materials for this manuscript, please inform our press team within the next 48 hours. Your manuscript will remain under strict press embargo until 2 pm Eastern Time on the date of publication. For more information please contact onepress@plos.org.

For any other questions or concerns, please email plosone@plos.org.

Thank you for submitting your work to PLOS ONE.

With kind regards,

PLOS ONE Editorial Office Staff

on behalf of

Professor Roberto Coppola

Academic Editor

PLOS ONE

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