Intra-individual comparison of epicardial adipose tissue characteristics on coronary CT angiography between photon-counting detector and energy-integrating detector CT systems

Abstract: Purpose
To explore the potential differences in epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) volume and attenuation measurements between photon-counting detector (PCD) and energy-integrating detector (EID)-CT systems.
Methods
Fifty patients (mean age 69 ± 8 years, 41 male [82 %]) were prospectively enrolled for a research coronary CT angiography (CCTA) on a PCD-CT within 30 days after clinical EID-based CCTA. EID-CT acquisitions were reconstructed using a Bv40 kernel at 0.6 mm slice thickness. The PCD-CT acquisition was reconstructed at a down-sampled resolution (0.6 mm, Bv40; [PCD-DS]) and at ultra-high resolutions (PCD-UHR) with a 0.2 mm slice thickness and Bv40, Bv48, and Bv64 kernels. EAT segmentation was performed semi-automatically at about 1 cm intervals and interpolated to cover the whole epicardium within a threshold of −190 to −30 HU. A subgroup analysis was performed based on quartile groups created from EID-CT data and PCD-UHRBv48 data. Differences were measured using repeated-measures ANOVA and the Friedman test. Correlations were tested using Pearson’s and Spearman’s rho, and agreement using Bland-Altman plots.
Results
EAT volumes significantly differed between some reconstructions (e.g. EID-CT: 138 ml [IQR 100, 188]; PCD-DS: 147 ml [110, 206]; P<0.001). Overall, correlations between PCD-UHR and EID-CT EAT volumes were excellent, e.g. PCD-UHRBv48: r: 0.976 (95 % CI: 0.958, 0.987); P<0.001; with good agreement (mean bias: −9.5 ml; limits of agreement [LoA]: −40.6, 21.6). On the other hand, correlations regarding EAT attenuation was moderate, e.g. PCD-UHRBV48: r: 0.655 (95 % CI: 0.461, 0.790); P<0.001; mean bias: 6.5 HU; LoA: −2.0, 15.0.
Conclusion
EAT attenuation and volume measurements demonstrated different absolute values between PCD-UHR, PCD-DS as well as EID-CT reconstructions, but showed similar tendencies on an intra-individual level. New protocols and threshold ranges need to be developed to allow comparison between PCD-CT and EID-CT data

Object Details

• Location: Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Frankfurt am Main
• Extent: Online-Ressource
• Language: Englisch
• Notes: European journal of radiology. - 181 (2024) , 111728, ISSN: 1872-7727

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (where): Freiburg
• (who): Universität
• (when): 2024
• Creator: Kravchenko, Dmitrij ; Vecsey-Nagy, Milan ; Tremamunno, Giuseppe ; Schoepf, U. J. ; O’Doherty, Jim ; Luetkens, Julian A. ; Kuetting, Daniel ; Isaak, Alexander ; Hagar, Muhammad Taha ; Emrich, Tilman ; Varga-Szemes, Akos

Further information

• DOI: 10.1016/j.ejrad.2024.111728
• URN: urn:nbn:de:bsz:25-freidok-2571128
• Rights: Open Access; Der Zugriff auf das Objekt ist unbeschränkt möglich.
• Last update: 15.08.2025, 7:29 AM CEST