title: Water/cortical bone decomposition: A new approach in dual energy CT imaging for bone marrow oedema detection. A feasibility study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Many studies aimed at validating the application of Dual Energy Computed Tomography (DECT) in clinical practice where conventional CT is not exhaustive. An example is given by bone marrow oedema detection, in which DECT based on water/calcium (W/Ca) decomposition was applied. In this paper a new DECT approach, based on water/cortical bone (W/CB) decomposition, was investigated.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eight patients suffering from marrow oedema were scanned with MRI and DECT. Two-materials density decomposition was performed in ROIs corresponding to normal bone marrow and oedema. These regions were drawn on DECT images using MRI informations. Both W/Ca and W/CB were considered as material basis. Scatter plots of W/Ca and W/CB concentrations were made for each ROI in order to evaluate if oedema could be distinguished from normal bone marrow. Thresholds were defined on the scatter plots in order to produce DECT images where oedema regions were highlighted through color maps. The agreement between these images and MR was scored by two expert radiologists.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For all the patients, the best scores were obtained using W/CB density decomposition.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In all cases, DECT color map images based on W/CB decomposition showed better agreement with MR in bone marrow oedema identification with respect to W/Ca decomposition. This result encourages further studies in order to evaluate if DECT based on W/CB decomposition could be an alternative technique to MR, which would be important when short scanning duration is relevant, as in the case of aged or traumatic patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Physics, University Hospital of Siena, Italy. Electronic address: michebiondi@gmail.com.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Biondi
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Physics, University Hospital of Siena, Italy.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vanzi
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Physics, University Hospital of Siena, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: De Otto
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Physics, University Hospital of Siena, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Banci Buonamici
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Physics, University Hospital of Siena, Italy.
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Belmonte
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Physics, University Hospital of Siena, Italy.
authors.forename: L N
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: Mazzoni
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Physics, Azienda USL Toscana sud est, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Guasti
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Imaging, University Hospital of Siena, Italy.
authors.forename: S F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Carbone
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical, Surgical and Neurosciences, University of Siena, Italy.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Mazzei
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical, Surgical and Neurosciences, University of Siena, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: La Penna
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical, Surgical and Neurosciences, University of Siena, Italy.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Foderà
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Imaging, University Hospital of Siena, Italy.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Guerreri
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical, Surgical and Neurosciences, University of Siena, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Maiolino
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical, Surgical and Neurosciences, University of Siena, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Volterrani
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism; D000071538:Cortical Bone / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism*; D004487:Edema / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014867:Water / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014867:Water
keywords: Bone marrow oedema imaging; Dual energy CT