In Vivo Bone Mineral Density Assessment With Spectral Localizer Radiographs From Photon-Counting Detector CT: Prospective Comparison With DXA

Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine in a prospective patient study the accuracy of areal bone mineral density (aBMD) measurements with spectral localizer radiographs obtained with a clinical photon-counting detector computed tomography (PCD-CT) scanner in comparison with dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA).

Methods: In this institutional review board-approved, prospective study, 41 patients (15 females, 26 males; mean age 61.3 years, age range 35-78 years) underwent PCD-CT of the abdomen with a spectral localizer radiograph (tube voltage 140 kVp, tube current 30 mA) and DXA within a median of 45 days. aBMD values were derived for lumbar vertebrae L1-L4 from both methods and were compared with linear regression, Pearson correlation, intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs), and Bland-Altman plots. T-scores were calculated on a patient level and were compared between methods.

Results: DXA and spectral localizer radiographs showed strong correlation in aBMD measurements (R = 0.97, P < 0.001) and patient level T-scores (R = 0.99, P < 0.001). There was a strong agreement between aBMD from both methods (ICC, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.94-0.97). Bland-Altman analysis revealed a very small mean difference in aBMD between methods (mean absolute error 0.019 g/cm2) with narrow limits of agreement (-0.083 g/cm2 to 0.121 g/cm2). Similarly, there were small differences in regard to the T-score (mean absolute error 0.156) with narrow limits of agreement (-0.422 to 0.734) between methods. ICCs indicated an excellent agreement between T-scores from DXA and spectral localizer radiographs (ICC, 0.98; 95% confidence interval, 0.95-0.99).

Conclusions: Our prospective patient study indicates that spectral localizer radiographs obtained with a clinical PCD-CT system enable accurate quantification of the lumbar bone areal mineral density. This opens up the opportunity for opportunistic screening of osteoporosis in patients who undergo CT for other indications.