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Nishihara T, Miyoshi T, Nakashima M, Akagi N, Morimitsu Y, Inoue T, Miki T, Yoshida M, Toda H, Nakamura K, Yuasa S. Diagnostic improvements of calcium-removal image reconstruction algorithm using photon-counting detector CT for calcified coronary lesions. Eur J Radiol 2024; 172:111354. [PMID: 38309215 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejrad.2024.111354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/05/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate the diagnostic performance of a calcium-removal image reconstruction algorithm with photon-counting detector-computed tomography (PCD-CT), a technology that hides only the calcified plaque from the spectral data in coronary calcified lesions. METHODS This retrospective study included 17 patients who underwent PCD-coronary CT angiography (CCTA) with at least one significant coronary stenosis (≥50 %) with calcified plaque by CCTA and invasive coronary angiography (ICA) performed within 60 days of CCTA. A total of 162 segments with calcified plaque were evaluated for subjective image quality using a 4-point scale. Their calcium-removal images were reconstructed from conventional images, and both images were compared with ICA images as the reference standard. The contrast-to noise ratios for both images were calculated. RESULTS Conventional and calcium-removal images had a subjective image quality of 2.7 ± 0.5 and 3.2 ± 0.9, respectively (p < 0.001). The percentage of segments with a non-diagnostic image quality was 32.7 % for conventional images and 28.3 % for calcium-removal images (p < 0.001). The segment-based diagnostic accuracy revealed an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.87 for calcium-removal images and 0.79 for conventional images (p = 0.006). Regarding accuracy, the specificity and positive predictive value of calcium-removal images were significantly improved compared with those of conventional images (80.5 % vs. 69.5 %, p = 0.002 and 64.1 % vs. 52.0 %, p < 0.001, respectively). The objective image quality of the mean contrast-to-noise ratio did not differ between the images (13.9 ± 3.6 vs 13.3 ± 3.4, p = 0.356) CONCLUSIONS: Calcium-removal images with PCD-CT can potentially be used to evaluate diagnostic performance for calcified coronary artery lesions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takahiro Nishihara
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan
| | - Toru Miyoshi
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan.
| | - Mitsutaka Nakashima
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan
| | - Noriaki Akagi
- Division of Radiological Technology, Okayama University Hospital, Okayama, Japan
| | - Yusuke Morimitsu
- Division of Radiological Technology, Okayama University Hospital, Okayama, Japan
| | - Tomohiro Inoue
- Division of Radiological Technology, Okayama University Hospital, Okayama, Japan
| | - Takashi Miki
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan
| | - Masatoki Yoshida
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan
| | - Hironobu Toda
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan
| | - Kazufumi Nakamura
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan
| | - Shinsuke Yuasa
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan
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Sun Z, Silberstein J, Vaccarezza M. Cardiovascular Computed Tomography in the Diagnosis of Cardiovascular Disease: Beyond Lumen Assessment. J Cardiovasc Dev Dis 2024; 11:22. [PMID: 38248892 PMCID: PMC10816599 DOI: 10.3390/jcdd11010022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Revised: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Cardiovascular CT is being widely used in the diagnosis of cardiovascular disease due to the rapid technological advancements in CT scanning techniques. These advancements include the development of multi-slice CT, from early generation to the latest models, which has the capability of acquiring images with high spatial and temporal resolution. The recent emergence of photon-counting CT has further enhanced CT performance in clinical applications, providing improved spatial and contrast resolution. CT-derived fractional flow reserve is superior to standard CT-based anatomical assessment for the detection of lesion-specific myocardial ischemia. CT-derived 3D-printed patient-specific models are also superior to standard CT, offering advantages in terms of educational value, surgical planning, and the simulation of cardiovascular disease treatment, as well as enhancing doctor-patient communication. Three-dimensional visualization tools including virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality are further advancing the clinical value of cardiovascular CT in cardiovascular disease. With the widespread use of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and deep learning in cardiovascular disease, the diagnostic performance of cardiovascular CT has significantly improved, with promising results being presented in terms of both disease diagnosis and prediction. This review article provides an overview of the applications of cardiovascular CT, covering its performance from the perspective of its diagnostic value based on traditional lumen assessment to the identification of vulnerable lesions for the prediction of disease outcomes with the use of these advanced technologies. The limitations and future prospects of these technologies are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhonghua Sun
- Curtin Medical School, Curtin University, Perth, WA 6102, Australia; (J.S.); (M.V.)
- Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute (CHIRI), Curtin University, Perth, WA 6102, Australia
| | - Jenna Silberstein
- Curtin Medical School, Curtin University, Perth, WA 6102, Australia; (J.S.); (M.V.)
| | - Mauro Vaccarezza
- Curtin Medical School, Curtin University, Perth, WA 6102, Australia; (J.S.); (M.V.)
- Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute (CHIRI), Curtin University, Perth, WA 6102, Australia
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Qiao J, Li S, Yang H, Chen X, Zhu T, Li Q, Wan W, Xu Y, Ge B, Zhao Y, Tang Y, Li F, He Y, Xia L. Subtraction Improves the Accuracy of Coronary CT Angiography in Patients with Severe Calcifications in Identifying Moderate and Severe Stenosis: A Multicenter Study. Acad Radiol 2023; 30:2801-2810. [PMID: 36586762 DOI: 10.1016/j.acra.2022.11.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Revised: 11/06/2022] [Accepted: 11/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES To investigate the diagnostic accuracy of subtraction coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTAsub) in identifying ≥ 50% and ≥ 70% coronary stenosis in patients with different degrees of calcification. MATERIALS AND METHODS In this study, 180 patients with coronary calcified plaques who underwent both coronary CT angiography and invasive coronary angiography (ICA) were prospectively enrolled at five centers. Patients were divided into three groups according to the Agatston score: group A (low to moderate, < 400), group B (high, 400-999), and group C (very high, ≥ 1000). Diagnostic accuracies estimated by area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) were compared between conventional CCTA (CCTAcon) and CCTAsub, with ICA as a reference standard. RESULTS There were 86 patients in group A, 44 in group B, and 50 in group C. In identifying ≥ 70% coronary stenosis, subtraction improved the diagnostic accuracies on a per-segment basis in group B (AUC: 0.80 vs 0.92, p = 0.001) and group C (AUC: 0.75 vs 0.84, p = 0.001) after subtraction. When identifying ≥ 50% coronary stenosis, the per-segment AUC of CCTAsub in group B and C were significantly higher than that in CCTAcon (group B: 0.81 vs 0.92, p < 0.001; group C: 0.77 vs 0.88, p < 0.001). However, no improvement was observed in group A. CONCLUSION Subtraction achieved better diagnostic accuracy in patients with Agatston score ≥ 400, both in identifying ≥ 50% and ≥ 70% coronary stenosis, which was instructive for the application of subtraction in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinhan Qiao
- From the Department of Radiology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Sheng Li
- Department of Radiology, People's Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
| | - Hongzhi Yang
- Department of Radiology, Xidian Group Hospital, Xi'an, China
| | - Xiaolong Chen
- Image Center Shaanxi Provincial People's Hospital, Xi'an, China
| | - Tingting Zhu
- From the Department of Radiology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Qian Li
- From the Department of Radiology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Weijia Wan
- From the Department of Radiology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yinghao Xu
- Canon Medical Systems (China) CO.,LTD., Building 205, Yard NO.A10, JiuXianQiao North Road, ChaoYang District, 100015, Beijing
| | - Bing Ge
- Canon Medical Systems (China) CO.,LTD., Building 205, Yard NO.A10, JiuXianQiao North Road, ChaoYang District, 100015, Beijing
| | - Yun Zhao
- From the Department of Radiology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yuanyuan Tang
- From the Department of Radiology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Fang Li
- Department of Radiology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Bejing, China; Department of Radiology, Beijing Chest Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
| | - Yi He
- Department of Radiology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Bejing, China.
| | - Liming Xia
- From the Department of Radiology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
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Zhou B, Tang Z, Huang X, Zhu H, Li X, Xiong H, Yu J, Liao R, Zhang D. Subtraction coronary CT angiography in patients with high heart rate. Acta Cardiol 2023; 78:99-108. [PMID: 35384795 DOI: 10.1080/00015385.2022.2061111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
All the previous subtraction coronary CT angiography (CCTA) had strict heart rate (HR) inclusion criteria. In this study, a new subtraction method was applied to patients with various HR. The post-contrast scan time was respectively 3.5 s after ascending aorta peak enhancement while HR >80 bpm, 4 s while 65≤ HR ≤80 bpm and 4.5 s while HR <65 bpm. Forty-six patients who underwent the new subtraction protocol were enrolled and patients were stratified into the high HR group (≥70 bpm) and low HR group (<70 bpm). Eighteen patients with 15 severe calcification segments and 25 stent segments further received invasive coronary angiography (ICA). In all included patients, the coronary artery enhancement was compared between the high and low HR groups. In patients with ICA performed, the image quality improvement and diagnostic effectiveness for detection of significant coronary segments stenosis (>50%) were compared between the conventional CCTA and subtraction CCTA and between the high HR group and low HR group, respectively. All enrolled patients got sufficient coronary artery enhancement. In patients with ICA performed, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed that the area under the curve (AUC) for the diagnosis of significant stenosis was 0.93 in subtraction CCTA and 0.73 in conventional CCTA (p < 0.05). Furthermore, there were no significant differences in image quality improvement, specificity, positive predictive value and accuracy between the high HR group and low HR group. The new subtraction CCTA method broadened the clinical availability for patients with high HR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bi Zhou
- Department of Radiology, Chongqing General Hospital, Chongqing, China
| | - Zhuoyue Tang
- Department of Radiology, Chongqing General Hospital, Chongqing, China
| | - Xianlong Huang
- Department of Radiology, Chongqing General Hospital, Chongqing, China
| | - Hongzhang Zhu
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Xiaojiao Li
- Department of Radiology, Chongqing General Hospital, Chongqing, China
| | - Hua Xiong
- Department of Radiology, Chongqing General Hospital, Chongqing, China
| | - Jiayi Yu
- Department of Radiology, Chongqing General Hospital, Chongqing, China
| | - Ruikun Liao
- Department of Radiology, Chongqing General Hospital, Chongqing, China
| | - Dan Zhang
- Department of Radiology, Chongqing General Hospital, Chongqing, China
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Pack JD, Xu M, Wang G, Baskaran L, Min J, De Man B. Cardiac CT blooming artifacts: clinical significance, root causes and potential solutions. Vis Comput Ind Biomed Art 2022; 5:29. [PMID: 36484886 PMCID: PMC9733770 DOI: 10.1186/s42492-022-00125-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
This review paper aims to summarize cardiac CT blooming artifacts, how they present clinically and what their root causes and potential solutions are. A literature survey was performed covering any publications with a specific interest in calcium blooming and stent blooming in cardiac CT. The claims from literature are compared and interpreted, aiming at narrowing down the root causes and most promising solutions for blooming artifacts. More than 30 journal publications were identified with specific relevance to blooming artifacts. The main reported causes of blooming artifacts are the partial volume effect, motion artifacts and beam hardening. The proposed solutions are classified as high-resolution CT hardware, high-resolution CT reconstruction, subtraction techniques and post-processing techniques, with a special emphasis on deep learning (DL) techniques. The partial volume effect is the leading cause of blooming artifacts. The partial volume effect can be minimized by increasing the CT spatial resolution through higher-resolution CT hardware or advanced high-resolution CT reconstruction. In addition, DL techniques have shown great promise to correct for blooming artifacts. A combination of these techniques could avoid repeat scans for subtraction techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jed D. Pack
- grid.418143.b0000 0001 0943 0267GE Research, Niskayuna, NY 12309 USA
| | - Mufeng Xu
- grid.33647.350000 0001 2160 9198Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180 USA
| | - Ge Wang
- grid.33647.350000 0001 2160 9198Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180 USA
| | - Lohendran Baskaran
- grid.5386.8000000041936877XWeill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065 USA ,grid.419385.20000 0004 0620 9905National Heart Centre, Singapore, 169609 Singapore
| | - James Min
- grid.5386.8000000041936877XWeill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065 USA ,Cleerly, New York, NY 10065 USA
| | - Bruno De Man
- grid.418143.b0000 0001 0943 0267GE Research, Niskayuna, NY 12309 USA
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Inage H, Tomizawa N, Otsuka Y, Aoshima C, Kawaguchi Y, Takamura K, Matsumori R, Kamo Y, Nozaki Y, Takahashi D, Kudo A, Hiki M, Kogure Y, Fujimoto S, Minamino T, Aoki S. Use of a deep-learning-based lumen extraction method to detect significant stenosis on coronary computed tomography angiography in patients with severe coronary calcification. Egypt Heart J 2022; 74:43. [PMID: 35596813 PMCID: PMC9124254 DOI: 10.1186/s43044-022-00280-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Coronary computed tomography angiography examinations are increasingly becoming established as a minimally invasive method for diagnosing coronary diseases. However, although various imaging and processing methods have been developed, coronary artery calcification remains a major limitation in the evaluation of the vascular lumen. Subtraction coronary computed tomography angiography (Sub-CCTA) is a method known to be able to reduce the influence of coronary artery calcification and is therefore feasible for improving the diagnosis of significant stenosis in patients with severe calcification. However, Sub-CCTA still involves some problems, such as the increased radiation dose due to plain (mask) imaging, extended breath-holding time, and misregistration due to differences in the imaging phase. Therefore, we considered using artificial intelligence instead of Sub-CCTA to visualize the coronary lumen with high calcification. Given this background, the present study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of a deep learning-based lumen extraction method (DL-LEM) to detect significant stenosis on CCTA in 99 consecutive patients (891 segments) with severe coronary calcification from November 2015 to March 2018. We also estimated the impact of DL-LEM on the medical economics in Japan. Results The DL-LEM slightly improved the per-segment diagnostic accuracy from 74.5 to 76.4%, and the area under the curve (AUC) slightly improved from 0.752 to 0.767 (p = 0.030). When analyzing the 228 segments that could not be evaluated because of severe calcification on the original CCTA images, the DL-LEM improved the accuracy from 35.5 to 42.5%, and the AUC improved from 0.500 to 0.587 (p = 0.00018). As a result, DL-LEM analysis could have avoided invasive coronary angiography in 4/99 cases (per patient). From the calculated results, it was estimated that the number of exams that can be avoided in Japan in one year is approximately 747 for invasive coronary angiography, 219 for fractional flow reserve, and 248 for nuclear exam. The total amount of medical fee that could be reduced was 225,629,368 JPY. Conclusions These findings suggest that the DL-LEM may improve the diagnostic performance in detecting significant stenosis in patients with severe coronary calcification. In addition, the results suggest that not a small medical economic effect can be expected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hidekazu Inage
- Department of Radiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Juntendo University, 2-1-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8421, Japan.,Department of Radiological Technology, Juntendo University Hospital, 3-1-3 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8421, Japan
| | - Nobuo Tomizawa
- Department of Radiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Juntendo University, 2-1-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8421, Japan.
| | - Yujiro Otsuka
- Department of Radiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Juntendo University, 2-1-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8421, Japan.,Milliman, Inc., Urbannet Kojimachi Bldg, 8F 1-6-2 Kojimachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 102-0083, Japan.,Plusman LLC., 2F 1-3-6 Hirakawacho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 102-0093, Japan
| | - Chihiro Aoshima
- Department of Cardiovascular Biology and Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Juntendo University, 2-1-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8421, Japan
| | - Yuko Kawaguchi
- Department of Cardiovascular Biology and Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Juntendo University, 2-1-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8421, Japan
| | - Kazuhisa Takamura
- Department of Cardiovascular Biology and Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Juntendo University, 2-1-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8421, Japan
| | - Rie Matsumori
- Department of Cardiovascular Biology and Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Juntendo University, 2-1-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8421, Japan
| | - Yuki Kamo
- Department of Cardiovascular Biology and Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Juntendo University, 2-1-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8421, Japan
| | - Yui Nozaki
- Department of Cardiovascular Biology and Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Juntendo University, 2-1-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8421, Japan
| | - Daigo Takahashi
- Department of Cardiovascular Biology and Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Juntendo University, 2-1-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8421, Japan
| | - Ayako Kudo
- Department of Cardiovascular Biology and Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Juntendo University, 2-1-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8421, Japan
| | - Makoto Hiki
- Department of Cardiovascular Biology and Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Juntendo University, 2-1-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8421, Japan
| | - Yosuke Kogure
- Department of Radiological Technology, Juntendo University Hospital, 3-1-3 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8421, Japan
| | - Shinichiro Fujimoto
- Department of Cardiovascular Biology and Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Juntendo University, 2-1-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8421, Japan
| | - Tohru Minamino
- Department of Cardiovascular Biology and Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Juntendo University, 2-1-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8421, Japan
| | - Shigeki Aoki
- Department of Radiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Juntendo University, 2-1-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8421, Japan
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Artificial Intelligence (Enhanced Super-Resolution Generative Adversarial Network) for Calcium Deblooming in Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography: A Feasibility Study. Diagnostics (Basel) 2022; 12:diagnostics12040991. [PMID: 35454039 PMCID: PMC9027004 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics12040991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2022] [Revised: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: The presence of heavy calcification in the coronary artery always presents a challenge for coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) in assessing the degree of coronary stenosis due to blooming artifacts associated with calcified plaques. Our study purpose was to use an advanced artificial intelligence (enhanced super-resolution generative adversarial network [ESRGAN]) model to suppress the blooming artifact in CCTA and determine its effect on improving the diagnostic performance of CCTA in calcified plaques. Methods: A total of 184 calcified plaques from 50 patients who underwent both CCTA and invasive coronary angiography (ICA) were analysed with measurements of coronary lumen on the original CCTA, and three sets of ESRGAN-processed images including ESRGAN-high-resolution (ESRGAN-HR), ESRGAN-average and ESRGAN-median with ICA as the reference method for determining sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV). Results: ESRGAN-processed images improved the specificity and PPV at all three coronary arteries (LAD-left anterior descending, LCx-left circumflex and RCA-right coronary artery) compared to original CCTA with ESRGAN-median resulting in the highest values being 41.0% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 30%, 52.7%) and 26.9% (95% CI: 22.9%, 31.4%) at LAD; 41.7% (95% CI: 22.1%, 63.4%) and 36.4% (95% CI: 28.9%, 44.5%) at LCx; 55% (95% CI: 38.5%, 70.7%) and 47.1% (95% CI: 38.7%, 55.6%) at RCA; while corresponding values for original CCTA were 21.8% (95% CI: 13.2%, 32.6%) and 22.8% (95% CI: 20.8%, 24.9%); 12.5% (95% CI: 2.6%, 32.4%) and 27.6% (95% CI: 24.7%, 30.7%); 17.5% (95% CI: 7.3%, 32.8%) and 32.7% (95% CI: 29.6%, 35.9%) at LAD, LCx and RCA, respectively. There was no significant effect on sensitivity and NPV between the original CCTA and ESRGAN-processed images at all three coronary arteries. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was the highest with ESRGAN-median images at the RCA level with values being 0.76 (95% CI: 0.64, 0.89), 0.81 (95% CI: 0.69, 0.93), 0.82 (95% CI: 0.71, 0.94) and 0.86 (95% CI: 0.76, 0.96) corresponding to original CCTA and ESRGAN-HR, average and median images, respectively. Conclusions: This feasibility study shows the potential value of ESRGAN-processed images in improving the diagnostic value of CCTA for patients with calcified plaques.
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Li F, He Q, Xu L, Zhou Y, Sun Y, Wang Z, Xu Y, Yang Z, He Y. Diagnostic Accuracy of Subtraction Coronary CT Angiography in Severely Calcified Segments: Comparison Between Readers With Different Levels of Experience. Front Cardiovasc Med 2022; 9:828751. [PMID: 35387432 PMCID: PMC8977640 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2022.828751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
PurposeSubtraction coronary CT angiography (CCTA) may reduce blooming and beam-hardening artifacts. This study aimed to assess its value in improving the diagnostic accuracy of readers with different experience levels.MethodWe prospectively enrolled patients with target segment who underwent CCTA and invasive coronary angiography (ICA). Target segment images were independently evaluated by three groups of radiologists with different experience levels with CCTA using ICA as the standard reference. Diagnostic accuracy was measured by the area under the curve (AUC), using ≥50% stenosis as the cut-off value.ResultsIn total, 134 target segments with severe calcification from 47 patients were analyzed. The mean specificity of conventional CCTA for each group ranged from 22.4 to 42.2%, which significantly improved with subtraction CCTA, ranging from 81.3 to 85.7% (all p < 0.001). The mean sensitivity of conventional CCTA for each group ranged from 83.3 to 88.0%. Following calcification subtraction, the mean sensitivity decreased for the novice (p < 0.001) and junior (p = 0.017) radiologists but was unchanged for the senior radiologists (p = 0.690). With subtraction CCTA, the mean AUCs of CCTA significantly increased: values ranged from 0.53, 0.54, and 0.61 to 0.70, 0.74, and 0.85 for the novice, junior, and senior groups (all p < 0.001).ConclusionSubtraction CCTA could improve the diagnostic accuracy of radiologists at all experience levels of CCTA interpretation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang Li
- Department of Radiology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Department of Radiology, Beijing Chest Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Qing He
- Department of Radiology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Lixue Xu
- Department of Radiology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Yan Zhou
- Department of Radiology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Yufei Sun
- Department of Radiology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhenchang Wang
- Department of Radiology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Yinghao Xu
- Canon Medical Systems (China) Co. Ltd., Beijing, China
| | - Zhenghan Yang
- Department of Radiology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Zhenghan Yang
| | - Yi He
- Department of Radiology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Yi He
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Yamada M, Yamada Y, Nakahara T, Okuda S, Abe T, Kuribayashi S, Jinzaki M. Accuracy of ultra-high-resolution computed tomography with a 0.3-mm detector for quantitative assessment of coronary artery stenosis grading in comparison with conventional computed tomography: A phantom study. J Cardiovasc Comput Tomogr 2021; 16:239-244. [PMID: 34906436 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcct.2021.11.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2021] [Revised: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The development of ultra-high-resolution CT (U-HRCT) is expected to improve the accuracy of coronary stenosis evaluation. This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of the stenosis severities of coronary artery phantoms estimated using U-HRCT by comparing them to those estimated with conventional CT. METHODS Coronary artery phantoms with non-calcified and calcified lesions were scanned with conventional CT (64-row × 0.625 mm) and U-HRCT (32-row × 0.3125 mm). The coronary artery phantoms had lumen diameters of 2.0, 3.0, and 4.0 mm with non-calcified lesions representing 0%, 25%, 50%, and 75% stenosis and 3.0 and 4.0 mm with calcified lesions representing 0%, 25%, 50%, and 75% stenosis. The lumen diameters at the stenotic and non-stenotic regions were measured, and the stenosis severities were compared with the true values. RESULTS For non-calcified lesions, conventional CT significantly underestimated the stenosis severity in the phantom showing 75% stenosis with lumen diameters of 2.0 and 3.0 mm (p < 0.05), while the estimated stenosis severities were not significantly different from the true values at all settings with U-HRCT. For the calcified lesions, conventional CT overestimated the stenosis severities at all settings (p < 0.05), while U-HRCT yielded estimations closer to the true values, although still with some overestimation (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION By using U-HRCT, the estimated stenosis severities of the coronary artery with non-calcified lesion become almost equal to the true value, while those with calcified lesion are still overestimated although they become closer to the true value.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minoru Yamada
- Department of Radiology, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan
| | - Yoshitake Yamada
- Department of Radiology, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan
| | - Takehiro Nakahara
- Department of Radiology, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan
| | - Shigeo Okuda
- Department of Radiology, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan
| | - Takayuki Abe
- Keio University School of Medicine, Clinical and Translational Research Center, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan; Yokohama City University School of Data Science, 22-2, Seto, Kanazawa, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 236-0027, Japan
| | - Sachio Kuribayashi
- Department of Radiology, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan; HIMEDIC Imaging Center at Lake Yamanaka, XIV Yamanakako B2F, 562-12 Hirano, Yamanashi, 401-0502, Japan
| | - Masahiro Jinzaki
- Department of Radiology, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan.
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10
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Kamo Y, Fujimoto S, Nozaki YO, Aoshima C, Kawaguchi YO, Dohi T, Kudo A, Takahashi D, Takamura K, Hiki M, Okai I, Okazaki S, Tomizawa N, Kumamaru KK, Aoki S, Minamino T. Incremental Diagnostic Value of CT Fractional Flow Reserve Using Subtraction Method in Patients with Severe Calcification: A Pilot Study. J Clin Med 2021; 10:jcm10194398. [PMID: 34640414 PMCID: PMC8509262 DOI: 10.3390/jcm10194398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Revised: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Although on-site workstation-based CT fractional flow reserve (CT-FFR) is an emerging method for assessing vessel-specific ischemia in coronary artery disease, severe calcification is a significant factor affecting CT-FFR’s diagnostic performance. The subtraction method significantly improves the diagnostic value with respect to anatomic stenosis for patients with severe calcification in coronary CT angiography (CCTA). We evaluated the diagnostic capability of CT-FFR using the subtraction method (subtraction CT-FFR) in patients with severe calcification. This study included 32 patients with 45 lesions with severe calcification (Agatston score >400) who underwent both CCTA and subtraction CCTA using 320-row area detector CT and also received invasive FFR within 90 days. The diagnostic capabilities of CT-FFR and subtraction CT-FFR were compared. The sensitivities, specificities, positive predictive values (PPVs), and negative predictive values (NPVs) of CT-FFR vs. subtraction CT-FFR for detecting hemodynamically significant stenosis, defined as FFR ≤ 0.8, were 84.6% vs. 92.3%, 59.4% vs. 75.0%, 45.8% vs. 60.0%, and 90.5% vs. 96.0%, respectively. The area under the curve for subtraction CT-FFR was significantly higher than for CT-FFR (0.84 vs. 0.70) (p = 0.04). The inter-observer and intra-observer variabilities of subtraction CT-FFR were 0.76 and 0.75, respectively. In patients with severe calcification, subtraction CT-FFR had an incremental diagnostic value over CT-FFR, increasing the specificity and PPV while maintaining the sensitivity and NPV with high reproducibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuki Kamo
- Department of Cardiovascular Biology and Medicine, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo 113-8421, Japan; (Y.K.); (Y.O.N.); (C.A.); (Y.O.K.); (T.D.); (A.K.); (D.T.); (K.T.); (M.H.); (I.O.); (S.O.); (T.M.)
| | - Shinichiro Fujimoto
- Department of Cardiovascular Biology and Medicine, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo 113-8421, Japan; (Y.K.); (Y.O.N.); (C.A.); (Y.O.K.); (T.D.); (A.K.); (D.T.); (K.T.); (M.H.); (I.O.); (S.O.); (T.M.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +81-3-5802-1056
| | - Yui O. Nozaki
- Department of Cardiovascular Biology and Medicine, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo 113-8421, Japan; (Y.K.); (Y.O.N.); (C.A.); (Y.O.K.); (T.D.); (A.K.); (D.T.); (K.T.); (M.H.); (I.O.); (S.O.); (T.M.)
| | - Chihiro Aoshima
- Department of Cardiovascular Biology and Medicine, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo 113-8421, Japan; (Y.K.); (Y.O.N.); (C.A.); (Y.O.K.); (T.D.); (A.K.); (D.T.); (K.T.); (M.H.); (I.O.); (S.O.); (T.M.)
| | - Yuko O. Kawaguchi
- Department of Cardiovascular Biology and Medicine, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo 113-8421, Japan; (Y.K.); (Y.O.N.); (C.A.); (Y.O.K.); (T.D.); (A.K.); (D.T.); (K.T.); (M.H.); (I.O.); (S.O.); (T.M.)
| | - Tomotaka Dohi
- Department of Cardiovascular Biology and Medicine, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo 113-8421, Japan; (Y.K.); (Y.O.N.); (C.A.); (Y.O.K.); (T.D.); (A.K.); (D.T.); (K.T.); (M.H.); (I.O.); (S.O.); (T.M.)
| | - Ayako Kudo
- Department of Cardiovascular Biology and Medicine, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo 113-8421, Japan; (Y.K.); (Y.O.N.); (C.A.); (Y.O.K.); (T.D.); (A.K.); (D.T.); (K.T.); (M.H.); (I.O.); (S.O.); (T.M.)
| | - Daigo Takahashi
- Department of Cardiovascular Biology and Medicine, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo 113-8421, Japan; (Y.K.); (Y.O.N.); (C.A.); (Y.O.K.); (T.D.); (A.K.); (D.T.); (K.T.); (M.H.); (I.O.); (S.O.); (T.M.)
| | - Kazuhisa Takamura
- Department of Cardiovascular Biology and Medicine, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo 113-8421, Japan; (Y.K.); (Y.O.N.); (C.A.); (Y.O.K.); (T.D.); (A.K.); (D.T.); (K.T.); (M.H.); (I.O.); (S.O.); (T.M.)
| | - Makoto Hiki
- Department of Cardiovascular Biology and Medicine, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo 113-8421, Japan; (Y.K.); (Y.O.N.); (C.A.); (Y.O.K.); (T.D.); (A.K.); (D.T.); (K.T.); (M.H.); (I.O.); (S.O.); (T.M.)
| | - Iwao Okai
- Department of Cardiovascular Biology and Medicine, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo 113-8421, Japan; (Y.K.); (Y.O.N.); (C.A.); (Y.O.K.); (T.D.); (A.K.); (D.T.); (K.T.); (M.H.); (I.O.); (S.O.); (T.M.)
| | - Shinya Okazaki
- Department of Cardiovascular Biology and Medicine, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo 113-8421, Japan; (Y.K.); (Y.O.N.); (C.A.); (Y.O.K.); (T.D.); (A.K.); (D.T.); (K.T.); (M.H.); (I.O.); (S.O.); (T.M.)
| | - Nobuo Tomizawa
- Department of Radiology, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo 113-8421, Japan; (N.T.); (K.K.K.); (S.A.)
| | - Kanako K. Kumamaru
- Department of Radiology, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo 113-8421, Japan; (N.T.); (K.K.K.); (S.A.)
| | - Shigeki Aoki
- Department of Radiology, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo 113-8421, Japan; (N.T.); (K.K.K.); (S.A.)
| | - Tohru Minamino
- Department of Cardiovascular Biology and Medicine, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo 113-8421, Japan; (Y.K.); (Y.O.N.); (C.A.); (Y.O.K.); (T.D.); (A.K.); (D.T.); (K.T.); (M.H.); (I.O.); (S.O.); (T.M.)
- Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development-Core Research for Evolutionary Medical Science and Technology (AMED-CREST), Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development, Tokyo 100-0004, Japan
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11
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Sun Z, Ng CKC, Wong YH, Yeong CH. 3D-Printed Coronary Plaques to Simulate High Calcification in the Coronary Arteries for Investigation of Blooming Artifacts. Biomolecules 2021; 11:biom11091307. [PMID: 34572520 PMCID: PMC8468360 DOI: 10.3390/biom11091307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2021] [Revised: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The diagnostic value of coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) is significantly affected by high calcification in the coronary arteries owing to blooming artifacts limiting its accuracy in assessing the calcified plaques. This study aimed to simulate highly calcified plaques in 3D-printed coronary models. A combination of silicone + 32.8% calcium carbonate was found to produce 800 HU, representing extensive calcification. Six patient-specific coronary artery models were printed using the photosensitive polyurethane resin and a total of 22 calcified plaques with diameters ranging from 1 to 4 mm were inserted into different segments of these 3D-printed coronary models. The coronary models were scanned on a 192-slice CT scanner with 70 kV, pitch of 1.4, and slice thickness of 1 mm. Plaque attenuation was measured between 1100 and 1400 HU. Both maximum-intensity projection (MIP) and volume rendering (VR) images (wide and narrow window widths) were generated for measuring the diameters of these calcified plaques. An overestimation of plaque diameters was noticed on both MIP and VR images, with measurements on the MIP images close to those of the actual plaque sizes (<10% deviation), and a large measurement discrepancy observed on the VR images (up to 50% overestimation). This study proves the feasibility of simulating extensive calcification in coronary arteries using a 3D printing technique to develop calcified plaques and generate 3D-printed coronary models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhonghua Sun
- Discipline of Medical Radiation Science, Curtin Medical School, Curtin University, Perth, WA 6845, Australia;
- Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute (CHIRI), Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, WA 6845, Australia
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +61-8-9266-7509; Fax: +61-8-9266-2377
| | - Curtise Kin Cheung Ng
- Discipline of Medical Radiation Science, Curtin Medical School, Curtin University, Perth, WA 6845, Australia;
- Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute (CHIRI), Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, WA 6845, Australia
| | - Yin How Wong
- Faculty of Health & Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Taylor’s University, No. 1, Jalan Taylor’s, Subang Jaya 47500, Malaysia; (Y.H.W.); (C.H.Y.)
| | - Chai Hong Yeong
- Faculty of Health & Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Taylor’s University, No. 1, Jalan Taylor’s, Subang Jaya 47500, Malaysia; (Y.H.W.); (C.H.Y.)
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12
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Feasibility of Subtraction Coronary Computed Tomographic Angiography and Influencing Factor Analysis: a Retrospective Study. Curr Med Sci 2021; 41:821-826. [PMID: 34403108 DOI: 10.1007/s11596-021-2413-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate the feasibility of subtraction coronary computed tomographic (CT) angiography (SubCCTA) to decline calcium artifacts and improve diagnostic accuracy in the presence of coronary calcification and analyze the factors that influence SubCCTA. METHODS A total of 294 patients suspected of having coronary artery diseases underwent coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) and SubCCTA. Coronary stenoses were blindly evaluated by two experienced radiologists, which were compared with invasive coronary angiography (ICA). Multiple statistical indexes were adopted to analyze the value of SubCCTA for the diagnosis of calcium stenoses. RESULTS The diagnosable rate of SubCCTA was 67.2% (n=197), and the non-diagnosable rate was 32.8% (n=97). Using SubCCTA, the false positive rate decreased from 56.5% to 17.4%, and the corresponding diagnostic accuracy was increased from 83.6% to 92.9%. Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that height (OR=1.029, 95% CI=1.001-1.058), weight (OR=1.025, 95% CI=1.004-1.046), left ventricular size (OR=1.018, 95% CI=1.007-1.030), cardiothoracic ratio (OR=39.917, 95% CI=1.244-1281.098), the average heart rate (OR=0.866, 95% CI=0.836-0.896) and heart rate range (OR=0.882, 95% CI=0.853-0.912) might be the factors influencing SubCCTA. CONCLUSION This study suggested that SubCCTA could help improve diagnostic accuracy in the presence of calcium plaques. Moreover, several factors were discovered for the first time to possibly influence SubCCTA, which will be helpful in improving the subtracted image quality.
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13
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Subtraction improves the accuracy of coronary CT angiography for detecting obstructive disease in severely calcified segments. Eur Radiol 2021; 31:6211-6219. [PMID: 34142220 DOI: 10.1007/s00330-021-08092-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2021] [Revised: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate the accuracy, diagnostic confidence, and interobserver agreement of subtraction coronary CT angiography (CCTA) versus invasive coronary angiography on 320-row CT in coronary segments with severe or non-severe calcification. MATERIALS/METHODS Sixty-four patients (33 men, 66.6 ± 8.2 years) with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD) were prospectively enrolled from October 2019 to June 2020. The cross-sectional circumferential extent of calcification was used to classify calcified segments as non-severely ( < 180°) or severely calcified ( ≥ 180°). Three independent, blinded radiologists evaluated the severity of coronary stenosis. Interobserver agreement was evaluated using Fleiss' kappa (κ). A multiple-reader multiple-case receiver operating characteristic (ROC) method was conducted, and diagnostic accuracy was measured using the mean areas under the ROC curves (AUCs), with ≥ 50% stenosis as a cut-off. Diagnostic confidence, diagnostic accuracy, and interobserver agreement were compared between CCTA with or without subtraction information in severely and non-severely calcified segments. RESULTS In cases with severe calcification (51 patients, 146 segments), CCTA with subtraction information achieved better diagnostic accuracy (per-patient AUC: 0.73 vs 0.57, p = 0.03; per-segment AUC: 0.85 vs 0.62, p = 0.01), diagnostic confidence (3.7 vs 2.6, p < 0.001), and interobserver agreement (κ: 0.59 vs 0.30). Diagnostic accuracy (per-patient AUC: 0.81 vs 0.93, p = 0.30; per-patient AUC: 0.79 vs 0.82, p = 0.54) was not increased in cases with non-severe calcification (13 patients, 190 segments). CONCLUSIONS CCTA with subtraction information achieved better diagnostic accuracy in cases of severe calcification (circumferential extent ≥ 180°). However, for non-severe calcification (circumferential extent < 180°), the effect of calcium subtraction was unclear, as it did not improve diagnostic accuracy. KEY POINTS • Subtraction coronary CT angiography achieves better diagnostic accuracy, higher diagnostic confidence, and increased interobserver agreement for severe calcification (circumferential extent ≥ 180°). • Calcium subtraction does not improve the diagnostic accuracy of coronary CT angiography for calcification with a circumferential extent of < 180°.
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14
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Effect of energy difference in the evaluation of calcification size and luminal diameter in calcified coronary artery plaque using spectral CT. Jpn J Radiol 2020; 38:1142-1149. [PMID: 32767199 DOI: 10.1007/s11604-020-01027-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2020] [Accepted: 07/30/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE This study evaluated the calcium blooming-reducing effect and the differences of luminal diameter among various-energy virtual monochromatic images (VMIs) using rapid kilovolt-switching dual-energy computed tomography (DECT). MATERIALS AND METHODS Forty-five calcified segments in 31 patients were analyzed. For the analysis, 40- to 140-keV VMIs on both non-contrast CT and coronary CT angiography were generated at 10-keV steps, and calcification size and luminal diameter were measured using CT number profile curve and full-width at half-maximum method. We compared calcification size and luminal diameter on each keV VMIs with those on 70-keV VMI. RESULTS There was no significant differences among the 40- to 140-keV VMIs regarding calcification size or luminal diameter. CONCLUSION The 40- to 140-keV VMIs produced by single-source DECT had no effect on the calcification size or luminal diameter in the coronary artery.
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15
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Kang EJ. Clinical Applications of Wide-Detector CT Scanners for Cardiothoracic Imaging: An Update. Korean J Radiol 2020; 20:1583-1596. [PMID: 31854147 PMCID: PMC6923215 DOI: 10.3348/kjr.2019.0327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2019] [Accepted: 07/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Technical developments in multidetector computed tomography (CT) have increased the number of detector rows on the z-axis, and 16-cm wide-area-coverage CT scanners have enabled volumetric scanning of the entire heart. Beyond coronary arterial imaging, such innovations offer several advantages during clinical imaging in the cardiothoracic area. The wide-detector CT scanner markedly reduces the image acquisition time to less than 1 second for coronary CT angiography, thereby decreasing the volume of contrast material and radiation dose required for the examination. It also eliminates stair-step artifacts, allowing robust improvements in myocardial function and perfusion imaging. Additionally, new imaging techniques for the cardiothoracic area, including subtraction imaging and free-breathing scans, have been developed and further improved by using the wide-detector CT scanner. This article investigates the technical developments in wide-detector CT scanners, summarizes their clinical applications in the cardiothoracic area, and provides a review of the recent literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eun Ju Kang
- Department of Radiology, College of Medicine, Dong-A University, Busan, Korea.
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16
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Sun Z. Use of Three-dimensional Printing in the Development of Optimal Cardiac CT Scanning Protocols. Curr Med Imaging 2020; 16:967-977. [PMID: 32107994 DOI: 10.2174/1573405616666200124124140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2019] [Revised: 11/22/2019] [Accepted: 11/27/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Three-dimensional (3D) printing is increasingly used in medical applications with most of the studies focusing on its applications in medical education and training, pre-surgical planning and simulation, and doctor-patient communication. An emerging area of utilising 3D printed models lies in the development of cardiac computed tomography (CT) protocols for visualisation and detection of cardiovascular disease. Specifically, 3D printed heart and cardiovascular models have shown potential value in the evaluation of coronary plaques and coronary stents, aortic diseases and detection of pulmonary embolism. This review article provides an overview of the clinical value of 3D printed models in these areas with regard to the development of optimal CT scanning protocols for both diagnostic evaluation of cardiovascular disease and reduction of radiation dose. The expected outcomes are to encourage further research towards this direction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhonghua Sun
- Discipline of Medical Radiation Sciences, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, 6845, Australia
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17
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Chen CC, Wu PW, Tsay PK, Wang CC, Toh CH, Wan YL. Subtracted Computed Tomography Angiography in the Evaluation of Coronary Arteries With Severe Calcification or Stents Using a 320-Row Computed Tomography Scanner. J Thorac Imaging 2020; 35:317-325. [PMID: 32073538 DOI: 10.1097/rti.0000000000000480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) has its limitations in evaluating arteries with stents or heavy calcification. This study compares the diagnostic performance of subtracted coronary computed tomography angiography (SCCTA) and nonsubtracted coronary computed tomography angiography (NSCCTA) in evaluating coronary artery disease (CAD) and in-stent restenosis (ISR). MATERIALS AND METHODS Twelve patients with stents and 20 patients with heavy coronary calcifications (total Agatston's score >400) underwent both SCCTA and invasive coronary angiography (ICA) with an interval of <3 months. Four subjects in the stented group also had heavy calcifications. Overall, 30 stented segments and 202 calcified segments were assessed to compare the diagnostic performance of SCCTA and NSCCTA in detecting ISR and CAD. RESULTS For the 30 stented segments, SCCTA/NSCCTA had a sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) (shown in %) of 66.7/100, 100/55.6, 96.7/60, 100/20, and 96.4/100 in diagnosing ISR, respectively. For the 202 calcified segments, SCCTA/NSCCTA had a sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, PPV, and NPV of 68.8/84.4, 97.6/76.5, 93.1/77.7, 84.6/40.3, and 94.3/96.3 in diagnosing CAD, respectively. For both stented and calcified segments, SCCTA was significantly superior to NSCCTA in specificity and accuracy. For the calcified segments, SCCTA was significantly superior to NSCCTA in PPV. There was no significant difference in the diagnostic performance of SCCTA between the stented and calcified segments. CONCLUSIONS The diagnostic accuracy and specificity of SCCTA are significantly superior to those of NSCCTA in evaluating CAD and ISR. SCCTA shows no statistical difference in its diagnostic performance between the stented and calcified segments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Chi Chen
- Section of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine
| | - Patricia Wanping Wu
- Department of Medical Imaging and Intervention, Linkou and Taoyuan Chang Gung Memorial Hospital
| | - Pei-Kwei Tsay
- Department of Public Health and Center of Biostatistics, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | | | - Cheng-Hong Toh
- Department of Medical Imaging and Intervention, Linkou and Taoyuan Chang Gung Memorial Hospital
| | - Yung-Liang Wan
- Department of Medical Imaging and Intervention, Linkou and Taoyuan Chang Gung Memorial Hospital
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18
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Shirasaka T, Nagao M, Yamasaki Y, Kojima T, Kondo M, Hamasaki H, Kamitani T, Kato T, Asayama Y. Low Radiation Dose and High Image Quality of 320-Row Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography Using a Small Dose of Contrast Medium and Refined Scan Timing Prediction. J Comput Assist Tomogr 2020; 44:7-12. [PMID: 31939875 DOI: 10.1097/rct.0000000000000951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The aim of the study was to investigate the feasibility of coronary computed tomography (CT) angiography with a low kilovoltage peak scan and a refined scan timing prediction using a small contrast medium (CM) dose. METHODS In protocol A, 120-kVp scanning and a standard CM dose were used. The scan timing was fixed. In protocol B, 80 kVp and a 60% CM dose were used. The scan timing was determined according to the interval from the CM arrival to the peak time in the ascending aorta. We measured the CT number and recorded the radiation dose. RESULTS Higher CT numbers were observed in the left circumflex (proximal, P = 0.0235; middle, P = 0.0007; distal, P < 0.0001) in protocol B compared with protocol A. The radiation dose in protocol B was significantly lower than in protocol A (2.2 ± 0.9 vs 4.3 ± 1.7 mSv). CONCLUSIONS Low-contrast, low-radiation dose, high-image quality coronary CT angiography can be performed with low kilovoltage peak scanning and a refined scan timing prediction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takashi Shirasaka
- From the Division of Radiology, Department of Medical Technology, Kyushu University Hospital, Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture
| | - Michinobu Nagao
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging & Nuclear Medicine, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
| | | | - Tsukasa Kojima
- From the Division of Radiology, Department of Medical Technology, Kyushu University Hospital, Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture
| | - Masatoshi Kondo
- From the Division of Radiology, Department of Medical Technology, Kyushu University Hospital, Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture
| | - Hiroshi Hamasaki
- From the Division of Radiology, Department of Medical Technology, Kyushu University Hospital, Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture
| | | | - Toyoyuki Kato
- From the Division of Radiology, Department of Medical Technology, Kyushu University Hospital, Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture
| | - Yoshiki Asayama
- Advanced Imaging and Interventional Radiology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan
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19
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Shirasaka T, Nagao M, Yamasaki Y, Kojima T, Kondo M, Shimomiya Y, Kamitani T, Honda H. Feasible scan timing for 320-row coronary CT angiography generated by the time to peak in the ascending aorta. Clin Imaging 2019; 54:153-158. [PMID: 30658213 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinimag.2019.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2018] [Revised: 12/28/2018] [Accepted: 01/07/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE A 320-row CT scanner can briefly scan the entire heart. Therefore, the feasible scan timing is required. The aim of this study was to propose a refined method for feasible scan timing for coronary CT angiography (CCTA) using a time-density curve of the ascending aorta (AAo). METHODS One-hundred and twenty-nine patients were prospectively enrolled. All patients were performed test-bolus method. For the initial 65 patients, the scan timing was determined as a 3.0 s delay at the peak time in the AAo, which was defined as the conventional protocol (COV-P). For the next 64 patients, a scan timing of 1.0, 3.0, or 5.0 s delay was determined according to the interval from the contrast media arrival to peak time in the AAo, which was defined as the arrival to peak protocol (AP-P). The optimal scan timing was identified by the measurement of CT number in the left atrium, left ventricle, AAo, and descending aorta. The coronary enhancement and heterogeneity were compared between the two protocols. RESULTS The optimal scan timing was significantly higher in the AP-P than in the COV-P (85.9% vs. 61.5%, p = 0.0017). The CT number in the left circumflex artery (LCX) was significantly higher in the AP-P than the COV-P (344.5 Hounsfield units vs. 316.3 Hounsfield units, p = 0.0484). The heterogeneous index of the LCX was significantly greater for the COV-P than the AP-P (-36.8 vs. -25.8, p = 0.0028). CONCLUSIONS The AP-P can be used to determine the optimal scan timing for CCTA and contributes to stable coronary enhancement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takashi Shirasaka
- Division of Radiology, Department of Medical Technology, Kyushu University Hospital, 3 Chome-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi Ward, Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture 812-8582, Japan.
| | - Michinobu Nagao
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging & Nuclear Medicine, Tokyo Women's Medical University, 8-1 Kawata-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-0054, Japan
| | - Yuzo Yamasaki
- Department of Clinical Radiology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3 Chome-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi Ward, Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture 812-8582, Japan
| | - Tsukasa Kojima
- Division of Radiology, Department of Medical Technology, Kyushu University Hospital, 3 Chome-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi Ward, Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture 812-8582, Japan
| | - Masatoshi Kondo
- Division of Radiology, Department of Medical Technology, Kyushu University Hospital, 3 Chome-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi Ward, Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture 812-8582, Japan
| | - Yamato Shimomiya
- Ziosoft Inc., Mita Kokusai Bldg, 5F 1-4-28, Mita, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-0073, Japan
| | - Takeshi Kamitani
- Department of Clinical Radiology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3 Chome-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi Ward, Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture 812-8582, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Honda
- Department of Clinical Radiology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3 Chome-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi Ward, Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture 812-8582, Japan
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20
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Sun Z, Ng CKC, Squelch A. Synchrotron radiation computed tomography assessment of calcified plaques and coronary stenosis with different slice thicknesses and beam energies on 3D printed coronary models. Quant Imaging Med Surg 2019; 9:6-22. [PMID: 30788242 DOI: 10.21037/qims.2018.09.11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Background To investigate the effect of different slice thicknesses and beam energies on the visualization and assessment of coronary artery stenosis caused by calcified plaques using synchrotron radiation computed tomography (CT) based on 3D printed coronary artery models. Methods Patient-specific 3D coronary models were created based on 3 sample coronary CT angiographic cases with calcified plaques in the left coronary arteries. In addition to the original significant coronary stenosis (>70%) shown on these CT images, stenoses of <50% and >90% were created in the segmented coronary models for simulation of different degrees of stenosis. The coronary lumen and calcification were printed with soft and rigid materials to simulate properties of coronary wall and calcified plaque, respectively. The models were scanned with synchrotron radiation CT with beam energies of 30, 40 and 50 keV and spatial resolution of 0.019×0.019×0.019 mm3 voxel size. Original high-resolution images were reconstructed with slice thicknesses of 0.095, 0.208, 0.302 and 0.491 mm to determine the effect of spatial resolution on plaque and coronary stenosis assessment based on 2D axial and 3D virtual intravascular endoscopy (VIE) images. Results Three coronary artery models were successfully printed with plaques placed in the coronary arteries to simulate different degrees of stenosis. 2D and 3D VIE images reconstructed with slice thicknesses of 0.095, 0.208 and 0.302 mm allowed for accurate assessment of coronary plaques and lumen stenosis with no significant differences (P>0.05). Synchrotron radiation CT images reconstructed with a slice thickness of 0.491 mm resulted in overestimation of coronary stenosis when compared to other images on 2D and 3D VIE views (<50% vs. 55-72%; 70-79% vs. 80-90%) with significant differences (P<0.05). Similarly, irregular plaque appearances were observed on 2D and 3D VIE images with a slice thickness of 0.491 mm when compared to others using thin slice thicknesses. The scanning protocol with beam energy of 30 keV provided optimal visualization of coronary lumen and plaque appearances. Conclusions This study shows the feasibility of using 3D printed coronary artery models to simulate calcifications and different degrees of coronary stenosis. High resolution synchrotron radiation CT imaging with the 30 keV beam energy enables accurate assessment of coronary stenosis in the presence of calcification, thus highlighting the importance of high spatial resolution in the diagnosis of calcified coronary plaques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhonghua Sun
- Discipline of Medical Radiation Sciences, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Curtise K C Ng
- Discipline of Medical Radiation Sciences, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Andrew Squelch
- Discipline of Exploration Geophysics, Western Australian School of Mines: Minerals, Energy and Chemical Engineering, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.,Computational Image Analysis Group, Curtin Institute for Computation, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
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21
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The usefulness of low radiation dose subtraction coronary computed tomography angiography for patients with calcification using 320-row area detector CT. J Cardiol 2019; 73:58-64. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jjcc.2018.05.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2017] [Revised: 05/10/2018] [Accepted: 05/22/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
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22
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Motoyama S, Ito H, Sarai M, Nagahara Y, Miyajima K, Matsumoto R, Doi Y, Kataoka Y, Takahashi H, Ozaki Y, Toyama H, Katada K. Ultra-High-Resolution Computed Tomography Angiography for Assessment of Coronary Artery Stenosis. Circ J 2018; 82:1844-1851. [PMID: 29743388 DOI: 10.1253/circj.cj-17-1281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Limitations of coronary computed tomography (CTA) include false-positive stenosis at calcified lesions and assessment of in-stent patency. A prototype of ultra-high resolution computed tomography (U-HRCT: 1,792 channels and 0.25-mm slice thickness×128 rows) with improved spatial resolution was developed. We assessed the diagnostic accuracy of coronary artery stenosis using U-HRCT.Methods and Results:Seventy-nine consecutive patients who underwent CTA using U-HRCT were prospectively included. Coronary artery stenosis was graded from 0 (no plaque) to 5 (occlusion). Stenosis grading at 102 calcified lesions was compared between U-HRCT and conventional-resolution CT (CRCT: 896 channels and 0.5-mm slice thickness×320 rows). Median stenosis grading at calcified plaque was significantly improved on U-HRCT compared with CRCT (1; IQR, 1-2 vs. 2; IQR, 1-3, P<0.0001). Assessability of in-stent lumen was evaluated on U-HRCT in 79 stents. Stent strut thickness and luminal diameter were quantitatively compared between U-HRCT and CRCT. Of 79 stents, 83.5% were assessable on U-HRCT; 80% of stents with diameter 2.5 mm were regarded as assessable. On U-HRCT, stent struts were significantly thinner (median, 0.78 mm; IQR, 0.7-0.83 mm vs. 0.83 mm; IQR, 0.75-0.92 mm, P=0.0036), and in-stent lumens were significantly larger (median, 2.08 mm; IQR, 1.55-2.51 mm vs. 1.74 mm; IQR, 1.31-2.06 mm, P<0.0001) than on CRCT. CONCLUSIONS U-HRCT with improved spatial resolution visualized calcified lesions with fewer artifacts. The in-stent lumen of stents with diameter ≥2.5 mm was assessable on U-HRCT.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hajime Ito
- Department of Cardiology, Fujita Health University
| | | | | | | | - Ryota Matsumoto
- Department of Cardiology, Fujita Health University.,Department of Radiology, Fujita Health University
| | - Yujiro Doi
- Department of Radiology, Fujita Health University
| | - Yumi Kataoka
- Department of Radiology, Fujita Health University
| | | | - Yukio Ozaki
- Department of Cardiology, Fujita Health University
| | | | - Kazuhiro Katada
- Joint Research Laboratory of Advanced Medical Imaging, Fujita Health University School of Medicine
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23
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Fuchs A, Kühl JT, Chen MY, Viladés Medel D, Alomar X, Shanbhag SM, Helqvist S, Kofoed KF. Subtraction CT angiography improves evaluation of significant coronary artery disease in patients with severe calcifications or stents-the C-Sub 320 multicenter trial. Eur Radiol 2018; 28:4077-4085. [PMID: 29696430 DOI: 10.1007/s00330-018-5418-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2017] [Revised: 02/11/2018] [Accepted: 03/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Diagnostic accuracy of conventional coronary CT angiography (CCTAconv) may be compromised by blooming artifacts from calcifications or stents. Blooming artifacts may be reduced by subtraction coronary CT angiography (CCTAsub) in which non-contrast and contrast CT data sets are subtracted digitally. We tested whether CCTAsub in patients with severe coronary calcification or stents reduces the number of false-positive stenosis evaluations compared with CCTAconv. METHODS In this study, 180 symptomatic patients scheduled for invasive coronary angiography (ICA) were prospectively enrolled and CT scanned (2013-2016) at three international centers. CCTAconv, and CCTAsub data sets were reconstructed. Target segments were defined as motion-free coronary segments with a suspected stenosis (> 50% of lumen) potentially due to blooming of either calcium or stents. Target segments were evaluated with respect to misregistration artifacts from the CCTAsub reconstruction process, in which case evaluation was omitted. CCTAsub and CCTAconv were compared with ICA. Primary outcome measure was the frequency of false positives by CCTAconv versus CCTAsub to identify > 50% coronary stenosis by ICA on a per-segment level. RESULTS After exclusion of 76 patients, 104 (14% females) with mean age 67 years and median Agatston score 852 were included. There were 136 target segments with misregistration and 121 target segments without. Accuracy calculations in target segments without misregistration showed a reduction of the false positives from 72% [95% confidence interval (CI): 63-80%] in CCTAconv to 33% (CI:25-42%) in CCTAsub, at the expense of 7% (CI:3-14%) false negatives in CCTAsub. CONCLUSIONS In severely calcified coronary arteries or stents, CCTAsub reduces the false-positive rate in well-aligned, calcified or stent segments suspected of significant stenosis on CCTAconv. Nevertheless, misregistration artifacts are frequent in CCTAsub. KEY POINTS • A high calcium-score reduces the diagnostic accuracy in patients scanned with cardiac CT. • These patients would normally need an invasive angiogram for diagnosis. • In this prospective, multicenter study, subtraction CT, when evaluable, reduces false-positive stenosis evaluations. • Subtraction coronary CT angiography may, when evaluable, reduce excessive downstream testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Fuchs
- Department of Cardiology, The Heart Center, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - J Tobias Kühl
- Department of Cardiology, The Heart Center, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Marcus Y Chen
- National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | | | - Xavier Alomar
- Clinica Creu Blanca, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sujata M Shanbhag
- National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Steffen Helqvist
- Department of Cardiology, The Heart Center, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Klaus F Kofoed
- Department of Cardiology, The Heart Center, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Radiology, The Diagnostic Center, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Sun Z, Chaichana T. An investigation of correlation between left coronary bifurcation angle and hemodynamic changes in coronary stenosis by coronary computed tomography angiography-derived computational fluid dynamics. Quant Imaging Med Surg 2017; 7:537-548. [PMID: 29184766 DOI: 10.21037/qims.2017.10.03] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Background To investigate the correlation between left coronary bifurcation angle and coronary stenosis as assessed by coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA)-generated computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis when compared to the CCTA analysis of coronary lumen stenosis and plaque lesion length with invasive coronary angiography (ICA) as the reference method. Methods Thirty patients (22 males, mean age: 59±6.9 years) with calcified plaques at the left coronary artery were included in the study with all patients undergoing CCTA and ICA examinations. CFD simulation was performed to analyze hemodynamic changes to the left coronary artery models in terms of wall shear stress, wall pressure and flow velocity, with findings correlated to the coronary stenosis and degree of bifurcation angle. Calcified plaque length was measured in the left coronary artery with diagnostic value compared to that from coronary lumen and bifurcation angle assessments. Results Of 26 significant stenosis at left anterior descending (LAD) and 13 at left circumflex (LCx) on CCTA, only 14 and 5 of them were confirmed to be >50% stenosis at LAD and LCx respectively on ICA, resulting in sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of 100%, 52%, 49% and 100%. The mean plaque length was measured 5.3±3.6 and 4.4±1.9 mm at LAD and LCx, respectively, with diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV being 92.8%, 46.7%, 61.9% and 87.5% for extensively calcified plaques. The mean bifurcation angle was measured 83.9±13.6º and 83.8±13.3º on CCTA and ICA, respectively, with no significant difference (P=0.98). The corresponding sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV were 100%, 78.6%, 84.2% and 100% based on bifurcation angle measurement on CCTA, 100%, 73.3%, 78.9% and 100% based on bifurcation angle measurements on ICA, respectively. Wall shear stress was noted to increase in the LAD and LCx models with significant stenosis and wider angulation (>80º), but demonstrated little or no change in most of the coronary models with no significant stenosis and narrower angulation (<80º). Conclusions This study further clarifies the relationship between left coronary bifurcation angle and significant stenosis, with angulation measurement serving as a more accurate approach than coronary lumen assessment or plaque lesion length for determining significant coronary stenosis. Left coronary bifurcation angle is suggested to be incorporated into coronary artery disease (CAD) assessment when diagnosing significant CAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhonghua Sun
- Department of Medical Radiation Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, Australia
| | - Thanapong Chaichana
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Liverpool Hope University, Liverpool, England, UK
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Submillisievert imaging protocol using full reconstruction and advanced patient motion correction in 320-row area detector coronary CT angiography. Int J Cardiovasc Imaging 2017; 34:465-474. [PMID: 28900781 DOI: 10.1007/s10554-017-1237-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2017] [Accepted: 08/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Radiation exposure remains a concern in the use of coronary CT angiography (CCTA). Full reconstruction (Full) and reconstruction using advanced patient motion correction (APMC) could obtain a lower radiation dose using low tube current scanning in a 320-row Area Detector CT (320-ADCT). The radiation dose for an imaging protocol using Full and APMC in daily practice was estimated. A total of 209 patients who underwent CCTA in 1 rotation scanning with 100 kv and adaptive iterative dose reduction 3D in 320-ADCT were enrolled. Imaging protocols were classified into 3 groups based on estimated slow filling time: (1) slow filling time ≥ 275 msec, Full with 30% of usual tube current (N = 43)(Full30%mA) (2) 206.3 msec ≤ slow filling time < 275 msec, APMC with 50% of usual tube current (N = 48)(APMC50%mA); and (3) 137.5 msec ≤ slow filling time < 206.3 msec, Half reconstruction with usual tube current (N = 118)(Half100%mA). Radiation dose was estimated by the effective dose. The diagnostic accuracy of CCTA was compared with that of invasive coronary angiography in 28 patients. The effective doses of Full30%mA, APMC50%mA, and Half100%mA were 0.77 ± 0.31, 1.30 ± 0.85, and 1.98 ± 0.68, respectively. Of 28 patients, the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value in vessel-based analyses were: Full30%mA, 66.7, 82.4, 80.0, 40.0, and 93.3%; APMC50%mA, 100.0, 80.0, 83.3, 50.05, and 100.0%; and Half100%mA, 90.9, 83.0, 86.3, 78.95, and 92.9%, respectively. An imaging protocol using Full30%mA and APMC50%mA was one of the methods how radiation dose could be reduced radiation dose maintained diagnostic accuracy compared to imaging using conventional Half100%mA.
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Yamaguchi T, Ichikawa K, Takahashi D, Sugaya T, Furuya J, Igarashi K. A New Contrast Enhancement Protocol for Subtraction Coronary Computed Tomography Requiring a Short Breath-Holding Time. Acad Radiol 2017; 24:38-44. [PMID: 27765596 DOI: 10.1016/j.acra.2016.08.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2016] [Revised: 08/30/2016] [Accepted: 08/31/2016] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES We have developed a new contrast enhancement protocol for subtraction coronary computed tomography (SCCTA) requiring a short breath-holding time. In the protocol, test and main boluses were sequentially and automatically injected, and correct timings for pre-contrast and contrast-enhanced scans for main bolus were automatically determined only by the test bolus tracking. Combined with a fixed short main bolus injection for 7 seconds, the breath-holding time was shortened as possible. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether use of this new protocol produced adequate quality images, taking into account calcified lesions and in-stent lumens. MATERIALS AND METHODS Patients (n = 127) with calcium scores of >400 Agatston units or a history of stent placement were enrolled. Breath-holding times were recorded, and image quality was visually evaluated by two observers. RESULTS The mean ± standard deviation breath-holding time was 13.2 ± 0.6 seconds. The mean ± SD computed tomography (CT) number of coronary arteries for the pre-contrast scan was sufficiently low [99.2 ± 32.2 Hounsfield units (HU)] and, simultaneously, that for SCCTA was 367.0 ± 77.2 HU. The rate of segments evaluated as unreadable was sufficiently low (3.8%). CONCLUSIONS Use of the SCCTA protocol was efficient and allowed for a shorter breath-holding time and adequate diagnostic accuracy of SCCTA images, including images of calcified and stent implantation segments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takayoshi Yamaguchi
- Department of Radiological Technology, Japan Community Health care Organization Hokkaido Hospital, 3-18 Nakanoshima 1-Jo 8-Chome, Toyohira-Ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 062-8618, Japan; Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa University, 5-11-80 Kodatsuno, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-0942, Japan.
| | - Katsuhiro Ichikawa
- Institute of Medical, Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan
| | - Daichi Takahashi
- Department of Radiological Technology, Japan Community Health care Organization Hokkaido Hospital, 3-18 Nakanoshima 1-Jo 8-Chome, Toyohira-Ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 062-8618, Japan
| | - Teppei Sugaya
- Cardiovascular Center, Japan Community Health care Organization Hokkaido Hospital, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Jungo Furuya
- Cardiovascular Center, Japan Community Health care Organization Hokkaido Hospital, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Keiichi Igarashi
- Cardiovascular Center, Japan Community Health care Organization Hokkaido Hospital, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
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Diagnostic performance of calcification-suppressed coronary CT angiography using rapid kilovolt-switching dual-energy CT. Eur Radiol 2016; 27:2794-2801. [DOI: 10.1007/s00330-016-4675-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2016] [Revised: 10/02/2016] [Accepted: 11/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Yoshioka K, Tanaka R, Nagata K, Sasaki T, Takeda K, Ueda T, Sugawara T, Ueyama Y, Chiba T, Sasaki A, Kikuchi K. Modified Subtraction Coronary CT Angiography Method for Patients Unable to Perform Long Breath-Holds: A Preliminary Study. Acad Radiol 2016; 23:1170-5. [PMID: 27426980 DOI: 10.1016/j.acra.2016.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2016] [Revised: 04/15/2016] [Accepted: 04/17/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES Severe calcifications of the coronary arteries are still a major challenge in coronary computed tomography (CT) angiography (CCTA). Subtraction CCTA using a 320-detector row CT scanner has recently been introduced for patients with severe calcifications. However, the conventional subtraction CCTA method requires a long breath-holding time of approximately 20-40 seconds. This is a major problem in clinical practice because many patients may not be able to perform such a long breath-hold. We explored a modified subtraction CCTA method with a short breath-holding time to overcome this problem. MATERIALS AND METHODS This study was approved by our institutional review board, and all patients gave written informed consent. A total of 12 patients with a coronary calcium score of >400 were enrolled in this study. All patients were unable to hold their breath for more than 20 seconds. Modified subtraction CCTA was performed using the bolus-tracking method. The acquisition protocol was adjusted so that the mask scan was acquired 10 seconds after the postcontrast scan during a single breath-hold. The subtraction image was obtained by subtracting the mask image data from the postcontrast image data. The breath-holding times were recorded. Enhancement of the coronary arteries in the subtraction images was assessed. Subjective image quality was evaluated in a total of 32 segments using a 4-point scale. RESULTS The mean breath-holding time was 12.8 ± 0.8 seconds (range, 12-14 seconds). The average CT number in the coronary arteries was 288.6 ± 80.5 Hounsfield units (HU) in the subtraction images. Average image quality was significantly increased from 2.1 ± 0.9 with conventional CCTA to 3.1 ± 0.7 with subtraction CCTA (P < 0.001). With subtraction CCTA, the number of non-diagnostic segments was significantly reduced from 53% to 19% (P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS This preliminary study has shown that our modified subtraction CCTA method allows the breath-holding time to be shortened to <15 seconds. This may substantially improve the success rate of subtraction CCTA by reducing artifacts and allowing this technique to be applied to patients who are unable to perform a long breath-hold.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kunihiro Yoshioka
- Division of Cardiovascular Radiology, Department of Radiology, Iwate Medical University, 19-1 Uchimaru, Morioka 020-8505, Japan.
| | - Ryoichi Tanaka
- Division of Cardiovascular Radiology, Department of Radiology, Iwate Medical University, 19-1 Uchimaru, Morioka 020-8505, Japan
| | - Kyouhei Nagata
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Iwate Medical University, Morioka, Japan
| | - Tadashi Sasaki
- Center for Radiological Science, Iwate Medical University Hospital, Morioka, Japan
| | - Kouta Takeda
- Center for Radiological Science, Iwate Medical University Hospital, Morioka, Japan
| | - Takanori Ueda
- Center for Radiological Science, Iwate Medical University Hospital, Morioka, Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Sugawara
- Center for Radiological Science, Iwate Medical University Hospital, Morioka, Japan
| | - Yuta Ueyama
- Center for Radiological Science, Iwate Medical University Hospital, Morioka, Japan
| | - Takuya Chiba
- Center for Radiological Science, Iwate Medical University Hospital, Morioka, Japan
| | - Akinobu Sasaki
- Center for Radiological Science, Iwate Medical University Hospital, Morioka, Japan
| | - Kei Kikuchi
- Center for Radiological Science, Iwate Medical University Hospital, Morioka, Japan
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Yoshioka K, Tanaka R, Takagi H, Nagata K, Chiba T, Takeda K, Ueda T, Sugawara T, Sasaki A, Ueyama Y, Kikuchi K, Sasaki T. Diagnostic accuracy of a modified subtraction coronary CT angiography method with short breath-holding time: a feasibility study. Br J Radiol 2016; 89:20160489. [PMID: 27439592 DOI: 10.1259/bjr.20160489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To explore the feasibility and diagnostic accuracy of modified subtraction coronary CT angiography (CCTA) with short breath-holding time in patients who have limited breath-hold capability and severe coronary artery calcification. METHODS 11 patients with a coronary calcium score >400 underwent CCTA using a modified subtraction protocol. All patients were unable to hold their breath for more than 20 s. Subjective image quality using a four-point scale and the presence of significant (>50%) luminal stenosis were assessed for each calcified or stented segment on both conventional CCTA and modified subtraction CCTA images and compared with invasive coronary angiography (ICA) as the gold standard. RESULTS The mean breath-holding time was 13.0 ± 0.9 s. A total of 35 calcified or stented coronary segments were evaluated. The average image quality was increased from 2.1 ± 0.9 with conventional CCTA to 3.1 ± 0.7 with subtraction CCTA (p < 0.001). The segment-based diagnostic accuracy for detecting significant stenosis according to ICA revealed an area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve of 0.722 for conventional CCTA and 0.892 for subtraction CCTA (p = 0.036). CONCLUSION Modified subtraction CCTA allows the breath-holding time to be shortened to <15 s. As compared with conventional CCTA, modified subtraction CCTA showed improvement in image quality and diagnostic accuracy in patients with limited breath-hold capability and severe calcification. ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE Modified subtraction CCTA can improve the diagnostic accuracy in patients with a high calcium score and patients who are unable to perform long breath-holds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kunihiro Yoshioka
- 1 Division of Cardiovascular Radiology, Department of Radiology, Iwate Medical University, Morioka, Japan
| | - Ryoichi Tanaka
- 1 Division of Cardiovascular Radiology, Department of Radiology, Iwate Medical University, Morioka, Japan
| | - Hidenobu Takagi
- 1 Division of Cardiovascular Radiology, Department of Radiology, Iwate Medical University, Morioka, Japan
| | - Kyouhei Nagata
- 2 Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Iwate Medical University, Morioka, Japan
| | - Takuya Chiba
- 3 Center for Radiological Science, Iwate Medical University Hospital, Morioka, Japan
| | - Kouta Takeda
- 3 Center for Radiological Science, Iwate Medical University Hospital, Morioka, Japan
| | - Takanori Ueda
- 3 Center for Radiological Science, Iwate Medical University Hospital, Morioka, Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Sugawara
- 3 Center for Radiological Science, Iwate Medical University Hospital, Morioka, Japan
| | - Akinobu Sasaki
- 3 Center for Radiological Science, Iwate Medical University Hospital, Morioka, Japan
| | - Yuta Ueyama
- 3 Center for Radiological Science, Iwate Medical University Hospital, Morioka, Japan
| | - Kei Kikuchi
- 3 Center for Radiological Science, Iwate Medical University Hospital, Morioka, Japan
| | - Tadashi Sasaki
- 3 Center for Radiological Science, Iwate Medical University Hospital, Morioka, Japan
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Kidoh M, Utsunomiya D, Oda S, Funama Y, Nakaura T, Yuki H, Hirata K, Namimoto T, Yamashita Y. Evaluation of the Effect of Intracoronary Attenuation on Coronary Plaque Measurements Using a Dual-phase Coronary CT Angiography Technique on a 320-row CT Scanner--In Vivo Validation Study. Acad Radiol 2016; 23:315-20. [PMID: 26777592 DOI: 10.1016/j.acra.2015.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2015] [Revised: 11/08/2015] [Accepted: 11/10/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES The characterization of plaques based on their computed tomography (CT) number is important for the detection of vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques. An earlier in vitro study showed that intravascular attenuation affected the attenuation of coronary atherosclerotic plaques. We attempted to validate this finding in vivo and here we introduce a dual-phase coronary CT angiography (CCTA) technique to address this issue. MATERIALS AND METHODS Institutional ethics committee approval and informed consent were obtained. Thirty patients (30 noncalcified plaques) underwent dual-phase CCTA. Two CT datasets were obtained, one with coronary artery enhancement and the other without coronary artery enhancement. The CT number of the plaque and the adjacent vessel lumen was measured in a circular region of interest on curved planar reconstruction images. The region of interest setting was consistent between the two CT datasets. We performed linear regression analysis of the changes in the CT numbers (ΔHounsfield unit), calculated by subtracting the two CT datasets, for the lumen and for the plaque. We also evaluated the relationship between plaque attenuation on nonenhanced coronary artery images and luminal attenuation with and without contrast enhancement. RESULTS The ΔHounsfield unit for the plaque and the lumen showed a strong correlation (r = 0.61). There was no significant correlation between plaque attenuation on nonenhanced coronary artery images and luminal attenuation with and without contrast enhancement (r = 0.23 and 0.24, respectively). CONCLUSIONS Intravascular attenuation changed the attenuation of coronary atherosclerotic plaques. Using the copy-paste technique, the CT number of identical plaques can be measured in registered dual-phase CCTA images for the evaluation of coronary plaques.
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Reliability of a new method for coronary artery calcium or metal subtraction by 320-row cardiac CT. Eur Radiol 2015; 26:3208-14. [DOI: 10.1007/s00330-015-4130-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2015] [Revised: 11/17/2015] [Accepted: 11/19/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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Sun Z, Ng CKC, Xu L, Fan Z, Lei J. Coronary CT Angiography in Heavily Calcified Coronary Arteries: Improvement of Coronary Lumen Visualization and Coronary Stenosis Assessment With Image Postprocessing Methods. Medicine (Baltimore) 2015; 94:e2148. [PMID: 26632895 PMCID: PMC4674198 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000002148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
To compare the diagnostic value of coronary CT angiography (CCTA) with use of 2 image postprocessing methods (CCTA_S) and (CCTA_OS) and original data (CCTA_O) for the assessment of heavily calcified plaques. Fifty patients (41 men, 9 women; mean age 61.9 years ± 9.1) with suspected coronary artery disease who underwent CCTA and invasive coronary angiography (ICA) examinations were included in the study. Image data were postprocessed with "sharpen" and smooth reconstruction algorithms in comparison with the original data without undergoing any image postprocessing to determine the effects on suppressing blooming artifacts due to heavy calcification in the coronary arteries. Minimal lumen diameter and degree of stenosis were measured and compared between CCTA_S, CCTA_OS, and CCTA_O with ICA as the reference method. The area under the curve (AUC) by receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis (ROC) was also compared among these 3 CCTA techniques. On a per-vessel assessment, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value, and 95% confidence interval (CI) were 100% (95% CI: 89%, 100%), 33% (95% CI: 22%, 45%), 41% (95% CI: 30%, 53%), 100% (95% CI: 85%, 100%) for CCTA_O, 94% (95% CI: 79%, 99%), 66% (95% CI: 54%, 77%), 57% (95% CI: 43%, 70%), and 95% (95% CI: 85%, 99%) for CCTA_S, 94% (95% CI: 79%, 99%), 44% (95% CI: 32%, 57%), 44% (95% CI: 32%, 57%), and 97% (95% CI: 79%, 99%) for CCTA_OS, respectively. The AUC by ROC curve analysis for CCTA_S showed significant improvement for detection of >50% coronary stenosis in left anterior descending coronary artery compared to that of CCTA_OS and CCTA_O methods (P < 0.05), with no significance differences for detection of coronary stenosis in the left circumflex and right coronary arteries (P > 0.05).CCTA with "sharpen" reconstruction reduces blooming artifacts from heavy calcification, thus, leading to significant improvement of specificity and positive predictive value of CCTA in patients with heavily calcified plaques. However, specificity is still moderate and additional functional imaging may be needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhonghua Sun
- From the Department of Medical Radiation Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia (ZS, CKCN), Department of Radiology, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China (LX, ZF), and Department of Medical Imaging, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Yunnan, China (JL)
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Andrew M, John H. The challenge of coronary calcium on coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) scans: effect on interpretation and possible solutions. Int J Cardiovasc Imaging 2015; 31 Suppl 2:145-57. [DOI: 10.1007/s10554-015-0773-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2015] [Accepted: 09/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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34
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Subtraction coronary computed tomography in patients with severe calcification. Int J Cardiovasc Imaging 2015; 31:1635-42. [DOI: 10.1007/s10554-015-0746-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2015] [Accepted: 08/14/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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Nishii T, Kono AK, Nishio M, Negi N, Fujita A, Kohmura E, Sugimura K. Bone-Subtracted Spinal CT Angiography Using Nonrigid Registration for Better Visualization of Arterial Feeders in Spinal Arteriovenous Fistulas. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 2015; 36:2400-6. [PMID: 26251431 DOI: 10.3174/ajnr.a4435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2015] [Accepted: 03/29/2015] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Pretreatment diagnosis for the location of shunts and arterial feeders of spinal arteriovenous fistulas is crucial. This study aimed to evaluate the utility of subtracted CT angiography imaging by using nonrigid registration (R-CTA) in patients with spinal arteriovenous fistulas compared with conventional CTA imaging. MATERIALS AND METHODS The records of 15 consecutive subjects (mean age, 65 years; 2 women) who had undergone CTA and digital subtraction angiography for clinically suspected spinal arteriovenous fistula were reviewed. From CTA images obtained at the arterial and late arterial phases, warped images of the late arterial phase were obtained by using nonrigid registration that was adjusted to the arterial phase images. R-CTA images were then obtained by subtracting the warped images from the arterial phase images. The accuracies of using nonrigid registration and conventional spinal CTA and the time required for detecting arterial feeders in spinal arteriovenous fistulas were analyzed for each patient with DSA results as a standard reference. The difference between R-CTA and conventional spinal CTA was assessed by the Welch test and the McNemar χ(2) test. RESULTS R-CTA had a higher accuracy compared with conventional spinal CTA (80% versus 47%, P = .025). The time for interpretation was reduced in R-CTA compared with conventional spinal CTA (45.1 versus 97.1 seconds, P = .002). CONCLUSIONS Our subtracted CTA imaging by using nonrigid registration detects feeders of spinal arteriovenous fistulas more accurately and quickly than conventional CTA.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Nishii
- From the Departments of Radiology (T.N., A.K.K., M.N., K.S.)
| | - A K Kono
- From the Departments of Radiology (T.N., A.K.K., M.N., K.S.)
| | - M Nishio
- From the Departments of Radiology (T.N., A.K.K., M.N., K.S.)
| | - N Negi
- Division of Radiology (N.N.), Center for Radiology and Radiation Oncology, Kobe University Hospital, Kobe, Japan
| | - A Fujita
- Neurosurgery (A.F., E.K.), Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan
| | - E Kohmura
- Neurosurgery (A.F., E.K.), Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan
| | - K Sugimura
- From the Departments of Radiology (T.N., A.K.K., M.N., K.S.)
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Fuchs A, Kühl JT, Chen MY, Helqvist S, Razeto M, Arakita K, Steveson C, Arai AE, Kofoed KF. Feasibility of coronary calcium and stent image subtraction using 320-detector row CT angiography. J Cardiovasc Comput Tomogr 2015; 9:393-8. [PMID: 26091841 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcct.2015.03.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2014] [Revised: 02/04/2015] [Accepted: 03/30/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The reader confidence and diagnostic accuracy of coronary CT angiography (CCTA) can be compromised by the presence of calcified plaques and stents causing blooming artifacts. Compared to conventional invasive coronary angiography (ICA), this may cause an overestimation of stenosis severity leading to false-positive results. In a pilot study, we tested the feasibility of a new coronary calcium image subtraction algorithm in relation to reader confidence and diagnostic accuracy. METHODS Forty-three patients underwent clinically indicated ICA and CCTA using a 320-detector row CT. Median Agatston score was 510. Two data sets were reconstructed: a conventional CCTA (CCTAconv) and a subtracted CCTA (CCTAsub), where calcifications detected on noncontrast images were subtracted from the CCTA. Reader confidence and concordance with ICA for identification of >50% stenosis were recorded. We defined target segments on CCTAconv as motion-free coronary segments with calcification or stent and low reader confidence. The effect of CCTAsub was assessed. No approval from the ethics committee was required according to Danish law. RESULTS A total of 76 target segments were identified. The use of coronary calcium image subtraction improved the reader confidence in 66% of these segments. In target segments, specificity (86% vs 65%; P < .01) and positive predictive value (71% vs 51%, P = .03) were improved using CCTAsub compared to CCTAconv without loss in negative predictive value. CONCLUSIONS Our initial experience with coronary calcium image subtraction suggests that it is feasible and could lead to an improvement in reader confidence and diagnostic accuracy for identification of significant coronary artery disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Fuchs
- Department of Cardiology, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 9, Copenhagen 2100, Denmark.
| | - J Tobias Kühl
- Department of Cardiology, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 9, Copenhagen 2100, Denmark
| | - Marcus Y Chen
- National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Steffen Helqvist
- Department of Cardiology, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 9, Copenhagen 2100, Denmark
| | - Marco Razeto
- Toshiba Medical Visualization Systems Europe, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - Andrew E Arai
- National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Klaus F Kofoed
- Department of Cardiology, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 9, Copenhagen 2100, Denmark; Department of Radiology, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Yoshioka K, Tanaka R, Muranaka K, Sasaki T, Ueda T, Chiba T, Takeda K, Sugawara T. Subtraction coronary CT angiography using second-generation 320-detector row CT. Int J Cardiovasc Imaging 2015; 31 Suppl 1:51-8. [PMID: 25721727 DOI: 10.1007/s10554-015-0630-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2015] [Accepted: 02/17/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to explore the feasibility of subtraction coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) by second-generation 320-detector row CT in patients with severe coronary artery calcification using invasive coronary angiography (ICA) as the gold standard. This study was approved by the institutional board, and all subjects provided written consent. Twenty patients with calcium scores of >400 underwent conventional CCTA and subtraction CCTA followed by ICA. A total of 82 segments were evaluated for image quality using a 4-point scale and the presence of significant (>50 %) luminal stenosis by two independent readers. The average image quality was 2.3 ± 0.8 with conventional CCTA and 3.2 ± 0.6 with subtraction CCTA (P < 0.001). The percentage of segments with non-diagnostic image quality was 43.9 % on conventional CCTA versus 8.5 % on subtraction CCTA (P = 0.004). The segment-based diagnostic accuracy for detecting significant stenosis according to ICA revealed an area under the receiver operating characteristics curve of 0.824 (95 % confidence interval [CI], 0.750-0.899) for conventional CCTA and 0.936 (95 % CI 0.889-0.936) for subtraction CCTA (P = 0.001). The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value for conventional CCTA were 88.2, 62.5, 62.5, and 88.2 %, respectively, and for subtraction CCTA they were 94.1, 85.4, 82.1, and 95.3 %, respectively. As compared to conventional, subtraction CCTA using a second-generation 320-detector row CT showed improvement in diagnostic accuracy at segment base analysis in patients with severe calcifications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kunihiro Yoshioka
- Division of Cardiovascular Radiology, Department of Radiology, Iwate Medical University, 19-1 Uchimaru, Morioka, 020-8505, Japan,
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Amanuma M, Kondo T, Arai T, Morita H, Matsutani H, Sekine T, Takayanagi T, Sano T, Ischizaka K, Takase S. Segmental distributions of calcifications and non-assessable lesions on coronary computed tomographic angiography: evaluation in symptomatic patients. Jpn J Radiol 2015; 33:122-30. [DOI: 10.1007/s11604-015-0389-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2014] [Accepted: 01/08/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Kidoh M, Utsunomiya D, Oda S, Yuki H, Funama Y, Namimoto T, Yamamuro M, Yamashita Y. Optimized subtraction coronary CT angiography protocol for clinical use with short breath-holding time-initial experience. Acad Radiol 2015; 22:117-20. [PMID: 25481519 DOI: 10.1016/j.acra.2014.09.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2014] [Revised: 09/26/2014] [Accepted: 09/27/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES Subtraction coronary computed tomography (CT) angiography (CCTA), which enables the removal of calcium and coronary stents from CCTA images, has been clinically introduced on a second-generation 320-row CT scanner. However, this technique for clinical use is not optimized. The long breath-holding time for two data acquisitions, which causes image misregistration and patient's discomfort, may limit the clinical availability of this subtraction technique. MATERIALS AND METHODS This study received approval from the institutional review board; prior informed consent to participate was obtained from all patients. We performed subtraction CCTA of five patients using the test injection method and optimized the interval time between the first (pulmonary-arterial phase) and the second (coronary-arterial phase) scans to achieve robust subtraction. The patients' breath-holding times were recorded. We compared breath-holding times between our new protocol and previous study's protocol (estimated). RESULTS Mean breath-holding time in our new protocol was 18.3 ± 3.4 seconds and that in previous protocol was 29.8 ± 3.6 seconds (difference in mean breath-holding time was 11.5 seconds). Misregistration artifacts were not shown in final subtraction CCTA images. These images improved luminal visualization in the calcified lesion. CONCLUSIONS Our test injection protocol can shorten the breath-holding time, which is helpful for successful subtraction CCTA imaging, potentially resulting in an increase of subtraction CCTA examinations in many institutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masafumi Kidoh
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, 1-1-1, Honjo, Kumamoto 860-8556, Japan.
| | - Daisuke Utsunomiya
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, 1-1-1, Honjo, Kumamoto 860-8556, Japan
| | - Seitaro Oda
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, 1-1-1, Honjo, Kumamoto 860-8556, Japan
| | - Hideaki Yuki
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, 1-1-1, Honjo, Kumamoto 860-8556, Japan
| | - Yoshinori Funama
- Department of Medical Physics, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Tomohiro Namimoto
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, 1-1-1, Honjo, Kumamoto 860-8556, Japan
| | - Megumi Yamamuro
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Yasuyuki Yamashita
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, 1-1-1, Honjo, Kumamoto 860-8556, Japan
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Alani A, Nakanishi R, Budoff MJ. Recent improvement in coronary computed tomography angiography diagnostic accuracy. Clin Cardiol 2014; 37:428-33. [PMID: 24756932 DOI: 10.1002/clc.22286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2014] [Accepted: 03/13/2014] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Although invasive coronary angiography has been the gold standard for evaluating coronary artery disease (CAD), it should not be routinely performed as an initial test to assess CAD in subjects with suspected CAD by the recent guidelines, due to cost, invasiveness, and measurable risk. Coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) is a rapidly growing, noninvasive imaging modality that developed quickly over the last decade, and its role for evaluation of CAD becomes of great promise with high diagnostic accuracy. Although artifact issues have created some challenges for CCTA, recent advances-including the introduction of more detectors, leading to broader coverage, and faster and higher-definition scanners-allow improved precision and fewer uninterpretable studies. This review article summarizes the current key literature regarding the diagnostic accuracy of CCTA in native coronary arteries, stents, coronary artery bypass grafts, lesions with high calcification, and the functional assessment of CAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anas Alani
- Department of Cardiology, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
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