Improved Calcium Scoring at Dual-Energy Computed Tomography Angiography Using a High-Z Contrast Element and Novel Material Separation Technique

Overview

Journal J Comput Assist Tomogr

Specialty Radiology

Date 2017 Sep 23

PMID 28937491

Citations 1

Authors

Jack W Lambert

Yuxin Sun

Karen G Ordovas

Robert G Gould

Sizhe Wang

Benjamin M Yeh

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare the accuracy of existing dual-energy computed tomography (CT) angiography coronary artery calcium scoring methods to those obtained using an experimental tungsten-based contrast material and a recently described contrast material extraction process (CMEP).

Methods: Phantom coronary arteries of varied diameters, with different densities and arcs of simulated calcified plaque, were sequentially filled with water, iodine, and tungsten contrast materials and scanned within a thorax phantom at rapid-kVp-switching dual-energy CT. Calcium and contrast density images were obtained by material decomposition (MD) and CMEP. Relative calcium scoring errors among the 4 reconstructed datasets were compared with a ground truth, 120-kVp dataset.

Results: Compared with the 120-kVp dataset, tungsten CMEP showed a significantly lower mean absolute error in calcium score (6.2%, P < 0.001) than iodine CMEP, tungsten MD, and iodine MD (9.9%, 15.7%, and 40.8%, respectively).

Conclusions: Novel contrast elements and material separation techniques offer improved coronary artery calcium scoring accuracy and show potential to improve the use of dual-energy CT angiography in a clinical setting.

Citing Articles

Multi-energy computed tomography and material quantification: Current barriers and opportunities for advancement.

Jacobsen M, Thrower S, Ger R, Leng S, Court L, Brock K Med Phys. 2020; 47(8):3752-3771.

PMID: 32453879 PMC: 8495770. DOI: 10.1002/mp.14241.

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