title: Quantification of roughness of calcific deposits in computed tomography scans of human coronary arteries.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The incidence of coronary artery disease has been shown to be greater in patients with calcific deposits than in those without. It has been suggested that the pattern of distribution of coronary calcific deposits within coronary arteries is of greater predictive value for acute coronary events than the overall quantity. Whether roughness of calcific deposits is a predictor of acute coronary events is not known. We derived and tested an algorithm, Voxel-Based Bosselation (VBB), for noninvasive quantification of roughness of calcific deposits in human coronary arteries imaged by computed tomography (CT).
  
  
  RESULTS
  VBB was tested on 213 coronary calcific deposits from electron beam CT scans of 27 patients. This algorithm evaluates the 3-dimensional connectedness of surface voxels of each deposit: smooth masses have low VBB and rough masses high VBB. The algorithm was calibrated with artificially generated phantoms as well as background noise mimicking calcific deposits and surrounding heart tissue. The VBB algorithm is applicable to calcific deposits of all scales and gradations. The VBB values of the deposits in this study did not correlate with deposit size further supporting its validity as a measurement of roughness. The VBB index corresponded directly with visual reconstruction using Phong-shaded algorithms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The VBB index, derived here, is a noninvasive method of quantifying the roughness of calcific deposits in CT scan data which can now be used in future clinical studies to determine possible correlations with increased plaque vulnerability and major acute coronary events.
authors.affiliation: Texas Heart Institute, St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: Wayne T
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Wilner
authors.forename: Reza M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Mazraeshahi
authors.forename: Ibrahim
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Aboshady
authors.forename: Bernhard G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Bodmann
authors.forename: Manos
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Papadakis
authors.forename: Donald
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kouri
authors.forename: Jodie L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Conyers
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cherukuri
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vela
authors.forename: Gregory
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gladish
authors.forename: Lilach
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gavish
authors.forename: Dianna D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Cody
authors.forename: Lorraine
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Frazier
authors.forename: Serhiy
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lukovenkov
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Madjid
authors.forename: Alireza
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zarrabi
authors.forename: Amany
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: James T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Willerson
authors.forename: S Ward
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Casscells
authors.forename: S David
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Gertz
mesh_terms: D002114:Calcinosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D017023:Coronary Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013499:Surface Properties; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*