Coronary artery disease: improved reproducibility of calcium scoring with an electron-beam CT volumetric method.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the variability and reproducibility of a volumetric calcium score calculated with electron-bean computed tomographic (CT) scans of coronary arteries.


METHODS
Two sets of electron-beam CT scans were obtained in patients with coronary calcification (group A) or known risk factors for coronary arterial disease (group B). The second set or scans was obtained after a brief interval (group A, n = 52) or after 1 year with no risk modification (group B, n = 27). Traditional (plaque area and attenuation) and volumetric calcium scores were calculated for each patient and lesion.


RESULTS
The median percentage change for individual lesions in group A was 13% for the volumetric and 19% for the traditional score. The overall reduction in error with the volumetric score was 40% (P < .001). The median percentage change for group A patient totals was 9% for the volumetric and 15% for the traditional score (P < .001). In group B patients, the median volumetric score increased by 44% after 1 year.


CONCLUSIONS
The volumetric score showed better reproducibility than the traditional score, and its variability was considerably less than the score increase in untreated patients after 1 year. The reproducibility of the volumetric method makes it useful for assessing the progression of coronary arterial disease on serial electron-beam CT studies.
Callister
T Q
TQ
EBT Research Foundation, Hendersonville, TN 37075, USA.
Cooil
B
B
Raya
S P
SP
Lippolis
N J
NJ
Russo
D J
DJ
Raggi
P
P
D002114:Calcinosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002118:Calcium / Q000032:analysis*; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000737:chemistry; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004577:Electron Probe Microanalysis / Q000295:instrumentation; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012307:Risk Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000295:instrumentation*
D002118:Calcium