Top

Published in:

01-12-2013 | Cardiac

Impact of iterative reconstruction on CT coronary calcium quantification

Authors: Akira Kurata, Anoeshka Dharampal, Admir Dedic, Pim J. de Feyter, Gabriel P. Krestin, Marcel L. Dijkshoorn, Koen Nieman

Published in: European Radiology | Issue 12/2013

Abstract

Objectives

We evaluated the influence of sinogram-affirmed iterative reconstruction (SAFIRE) on the coronary artery calcium (CAC) score by computed tomography (CT).

Materials and methods

Seventy patients underwent CAC imaging by 128-slice dual-source CT. CAC volume, mass and Agatston score were calculated from images reconstructed by filtered back projection (FBP) without and with incremental degrees of the SAFIRE algorithm (10-50 %). We used the repeated measuring test and the Steel-Dwass test for multiple comparisons of values and the difference ratio among different SAFIRE groups using the FBP as reference.

Results

The median Agatston score (range) decreased with incremental SAFIRE degrees: 163 (0.1 − 3,393.3), 158.4 (0.3 − 3,079.3), 137.7 (0.1 − 2,978.0), 120.6 (0 − 2,783.6), 102.6 (0 − 2,468.4) and 84.1 (0 − 2,186.9) for 0 % (FBP), 10 %, 20 %, 30 %, 40 % and 50 % SAFIRE, respectively (P < 0.05). In comparison with FBP, CAC volume (from 8.1 % to 47.7 %), CAC mass (from 5.3 % to 44.7 %) and CAC Agatston score (from 7.3 % to 48.4 %) all decreased with increasing SAFIRE from 10 % to 50 %, respectively (P < 0.05). High-grade SAFIRE resulted in the disappearance of detectable calcium in three cases with low calcium burden.

Conclusion

SAFIRE noise reduction techniques significantly affected the CAC, which potentially alters perceived cardiovascular risk.

Key points

• Iterative reconstruction reduces the amount of coronary calcium detected.

• Iterative reconstruction potentially changes the calcium-based cardiovascular risk estimation.

• Incidentally, calcium is no longer detectable using iterative reconstruction.

Arad Y, Spadaro LA, Goodman K, Newstein D, Guerci AD (2000) Prediction of coronary events with electron beam computed tomography. J Am Coll Cardiol 36:1253–1260PubMedCrossRef

Greenland P, LaBree L, Azen SP, Doherty TM, Detrano RC (2004) Coronary artery calcium score combined with Framingham score for risk prediction in asymptomatic individuals. JAMA 291:210–215PubMedCrossRef

Taylor AJ, Bindeman J, Feuerstein I, Cao F, Brazaitis M, O'Malley PG (2005) Coronary calcium independently predicts incident premature coronary heart disease over measured cardiovascular risk factors: mean three-year outcomes in the Prospective Army Coronary Calcium (PACC) project. J Am Coll Cardiol 46:807–814PubMedCrossRef

Mollet NR, Cademartiri F, van Mieghem CAG et al (2005) High-resolution spiral computed tomography coronary angiography in patients referred for diagnostic conventional coronary angiography. Circulation 112:2318–2323PubMedCrossRef

Achenbach S, Anders K, Kalender WA (2008) Dual-source cardiac computed tomography: image quality and dose considerations. Eur Radiol 18:1188–1198PubMedCrossRef

Einstein AJ, Henzlova MJ, Rajagopalan S (2007) Estimating risk of cancer associated with radiation exposure from 64-slice computed tomography coronary angiography. JAMA 298:317–323PubMedCrossRef

Arnoldi E, Johnson TR, Rist C et al (2009) Adequate image quality with reduced radiation dose in prospectively triggered coronary CTA compared with retrospective techniques. Eur Radiol 19:2147–2155PubMedCrossRef

Lell M, Marwan M, Schepis T et al (2009) Prospectively ECG-triggered high-pitch spiral acquisition for coronary CT angiography using dual source CT: technique and initial experience. Eur Radiol 19:2576–2583PubMedCrossRef

Winklehner A, Karlo C, Puippe G et al (2011) Raw data-based iterative reconstruction in body CTA: evaluation of radiation dose saving potential. Eur Radiol 21:2521–2526PubMedCrossRef

10.

Baumueller S, Winklehner A, Karlo C et al (2012) Low-dose CT of the lung: potential value of iterative reconstructions. Eur Radiol 22:2597–2606PubMedCrossRef

11.

Leipsic J, Labounty TM, Heilbron B et al (2010) Adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction: assessment of image noise and image quality in coronary CT angiography. AJR Am J Roentgenol 195:649–654PubMedCrossRef

12.

Moscariello A, Takx RA, Schoepf UJ et al (2011) Coronary CT angiography: image quality, diagnostic accuracy, and potential for radiation dose reduction using a novel iterative image reconstruction technique-comparison with traditional filtered back projection. Eur Radiol 21:2130–2138PubMedCrossRef

13.

Wang R, Schoepf UJ, Wu R, Gibbs KP, Yu W, Li M, Zhang Z (2013) CT coronary angiography: Image quality with sinogram-affirmed iterative reconstruction compared with filtered back-projection. Clin Radiol 68:272–278PubMedCrossRef

14.

Gebhard C, Fiechter M, Fuchs TA et al (2012) Coronary artery calcium scoring: Influence of adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction using 64-MDCT. Int J Cardiol 167:2932–2937

15.

Christner JA, Kofler JM, McCollough CH (2010) Estimating effective dose for CT using dose-length product compared with using organ doses: consequences of adopting International Commission on Radiological Protection publication 103 or dual-energy scanning. AJR Am J Roentgenol 194:881–889PubMedCrossRef

16.

Ghadri JR, Goetti R, Fiechter M et al (2011) Inter-scan variability of coronary artery calcium scoring assessed on 64-multidetector computed tomography vs. dual-source computed tomography: a head-to-head comparison. Eur Heart J 32:1865–1874PubMedCrossRef

17.

Detrano R, Guerci AD, Carr JJ, Kronmal RA et al (2008) Coronary calcium as a predictor of coronary events in four racial or ethnic groups. N Engl J Med 358:1336–1345PubMedCrossRef

18.

Budoff MJ, Shaw LJ, Liu ST et al (2007) Long-term prognosis associated with coronary calcification: observations from a registry of 25,253 patients. J Am Coll Cardiol 49:1860–1870PubMedCrossRef

19.

Oudkerk M, Stillman AE, Halliburton SS et al (2008) Coronary artery calcium screening: current status and recommendations from the European Society of Cardiac Radiology and North American Society for Cardiovascular Imaging. Eur Radiol 18:2785–2807PubMedCrossRef

20.

Agatston AS, Janowitz WR, Hildner FJ, Zusmer NR, Viamonte M Jr, Detrano R (1990) Quantification of coronary artery calcium using ultrafast computed tomography. J Am Coll Cardiol 15:827–832PubMedCrossRef

21.

Dedic A, Rossi A, Ten Kate GJ et al (2013) First-line evaluation of coronary artery disease with coronary calcium scanning or exercise electrocardiography. Int J Cardiol 163:190–195PubMedCrossRef

22.

Budoff MJ, McClelland RL, Chung H et al (2009) Reproducibility of coronary artery calcified plaque with cardiac 64-MDCT: the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis. AJR Am J Roentgenol 192:613–617PubMedCrossRef

23.

Begemann PG, van Stevendaal U, Koester R et al (2007) Evaluation of the influence of acquisition and reconstruction parameters for 16-row multidetector CT on coronary calcium scoring using a stationary and dynamic cardiac phantom. Eur Radiol 17:1985–1994PubMedCrossRef

24.

Nakazato R, Dey D, Gutstein A et al (2009) Coronary artery calcium scoring using a reduced tube voltage and radiation dose protocol with dual-source computed tomography. J Cardiovasc Comput Tomogr 3:394–400PubMedCrossRef

25.

Deprez FC, Vlassenbroek A, Ghaye B, Raaijmakers R, Coche E (2013) Controversies about effects of low-kilovoltage MDCT acquisition on Agatston calcium scoring. J Cardiovasc Comput Tomogr 7:58–61PubMedCrossRef

26.

Yoon HC, Greaser LE 3rd, Mather R et al (1997) Coronary artery calcium: alternate methods for accurate and reproducible quantitation. Acad Radiol 4:666–673PubMedCrossRef

27.

Willemink MJ, de Jong PA, Leiner T et al (2013) Iterative reconstruction techniques for computed tomography Part 1: Technical principles. Eur Radiol 23:1623–1631

28.

Katsura M, Matsuda I, Akahane M et al (2013) Model-based iterative reconstruction technique for ultralow-dose chest CT: comparison of pulmonary nodule detectability with the adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction technique. Investig Radiol 48:206–212

29.

Morita H, Fujimoto S, Kondo T et al (2012) Prevalence of computed tomographic angiography-verified high-risk plaques and significant luminal stenosis in patients with zero coronary calcium score. Int J Cardiol 158:272–278PubMedCrossRef

30.

Ueda H, Harimoto K, Tomoyama S et al (2011) Association between cardiovascular risk factors and the presence of coronary plaque in a zero or low coronary artery calcium score. Int J Cardiol 147:475–477PubMedCrossRef

Title: Impact of iterative reconstruction on CT coronary calcium quantification
Authors: Akira Kurata
Anoeshka Dharampal
Admir Dedic
Pim J. de Feyter
Gabriel P. Krestin
Marcel L. Dijkshoorn
Koen Nieman
Publication date: 01-12-2013
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in: European Radiology / Issue 12/2013
Print ISSN: 0938-7994
Electronic ISSN: 1432-1084
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-013-3022-8

At a glance: The STEP trials

Springer Medicine

Impact of iterative reconstruction on CT coronary calcium quantification

Abstract

Objectives

Materials and methods

Results

Conclusion

Key points

At a glance: The STEP trials

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Objectives

Materials and methods

Results

Conclusion

Key points

Please log in to get access to this content

Other articles of this Issue 12/2013

Appendiceal length as an independent risk factor for acute appendicitis

Correlation of contrast-enhanced ultrasound kinetics with prognostic factors in invasive breast cancer

Wall shear stress distribution at the carotid bifurcation: influence of eversion carotid endarterectomy

Computed diffusion-weighted imaging using 3-T magnetic resonance imaging for prostate cancer diagnosis

Bone marrow changes related to disuse

Intra-individual, randomised comparison of the MRI contrast agents gadobutrol versus gadoteridol in patients with primary and secondary brain tumours, evaluated in a blinded read