title: In vivo coronary artery plaque assessment with computed tomography angiography: is there an impact of iterative reconstruction on plaque volume and attenuation metrics?
abstract: Background Coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) allows the evaluation of coronary plaque volume and low attenuation (lipid-rich) component, for plaque vulnerability assessment. Purpose To determine the effect of iterative reconstruction (IR) on coronary plaque volume and composition. Material and Methods Consecutive patients without coronary artery disease were prospectively enrolled for 256-slice CT. Images were reconstructed with both filtered back projection (FBP) and a hybrid IR algorithm (iDose4, Philips) levels 1, 3, 5, and 7. Coronary plaques were assessed according to predefined Hounsfield unit (HU) attenuation intervals, for total plaque and HU-interval volumes. Results Fifty-three patients (mean age, 53.6 years) were included. Noise was significantly decreased and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) / contrast-to-noise (CNR) were both significantly improved at all IR levels in comparison to FBP. Plaque characterization was performed in 41 patients for a total of 125 plaques. Total plaque volume ranged from 104.4 ± 120.7 to 107.4 ± 128.9 mm3and low attenuation plaque component from 40.5 ± 54.7 to 43.5 ± 58.9 mm3, with no statistically significant differences between all IR levels and FBP ( P = 0.786 and P ≥ 0.078, respectively). Conclusion IR improved image quality. Total and low attenuation plaque volumes were similar using either IR or FBP.
authors.affiliation: 1 Radiology Department, University of Montreal Medical Center (CHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Zhongyi
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: 1 Radiology Department, University of Montreal Medical Center (CHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Irina
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Boldeanu
authors.affiliation: 1 Radiology Department, University of Montreal Medical Center (CHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nepveu
authors.affiliation: 2 Medicine Department, University of Montreal Medical Center (CHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Madeleine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Durand
authors.affiliation: 1 Radiology Department, University of Montreal Medical Center (CHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Anne S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Chin
authors.affiliation: 1 Radiology Department, University of Montreal Medical Center (CHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Claude
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kauffmann
authors.affiliation: 2 Medicine Department, University of Montreal Medical Center (CHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Samer
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mansour
authors.affiliation: 1 Radiology Department, University of Montreal Medical Center (CHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Gilles
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Soulez
authors.affiliation: 2 Medicine Department, University of Montreal Medical Center (CHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Cécile
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tremblay
authors.affiliation: 1 Radiology Department, University of Montreal Medical Center (CHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Carl
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chartrand-Lefebvre
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D000072226:Computed Tomography Angiography; D017023:Coronary Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D058226:Plaque, Atherosclerotic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology
keywords: Algorithms; X-ray computed tomography (CT); atherosclerotic plaque; computer-assisted image processing; coronary artery disease; image reconstruction