Keywords:
Ischaemia / Infarction, Calcifications / Calculi, Arteriosclerosis, Diagnostic procedure, Contrast agent-intravenous, Computer Applications-General, CT-Quantitative, CT-Angiography, CT, Vascular, CNS, Arteries / Aorta
Authors:
V. Rafailidis, I. Chryssogonidis, C. Xerras, T. Tegos, I. NIKOLAOU, A. Charitanti-Kouridou, E. Destanis, A. Kalogera-Fountzila; Thessaloniki/GR
DOI:
10.26044/ecr2019/C-0161
Conclusion
Based on the findings of this study it can be concluded that CTA quantification of carotid atherosclerotic plaque components is feasible using existing commercially available specialized software.
Features quantified include lipid,
fibrous matrix and calcification.
The volume of lipid tissue both in absolute and relative value,
the relative calcification volume and the ratio of lipid and calcification volume have been found to be associated with the occurrence of stroke,
with the symptomatic carotid plaques exhibiting higher absolute lipid volume,
higher relative lipid volume,
lower relative calcification volume and higher lipid/calcification volume ratio.
These findings are in keeping with those of previous studies in the literature.
The novelty though of this study is that it employed software quantifying the volumes of plaque components using software algorithms able to mitigate the blurring and partial volume effects of routine CT angiography acquisitions in order to produce more accurate quantification so as to enhance current clinical practice [9,
10].
This improved technique of plaque composition quantification with CTA provided results which were able to correlate with the occurrence of stroke and are thus clinically significant.