{"title":"光子计数计算机断层扫描冠状动脉斑块有效原子序数（Zeff）图像分析的适用性。","authors":"Takashi Asahara, Mana Mitani, Natsumi Kimoto, Rina Nishigami, Kazuki Takegami, Yusuke Morimitsu, Noriaki Akagi, Toru Miyoshi, Yuki Kanazawa, Toshihiro Iguchi, Hiroaki Hayashi","doi":"10.1097/RLI.0000000000001237","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Coronary computed tomography (CT) allows the assessment of cardiovascular risk by imaging calcified plaques in coronary arteries. Because photon-counting CT (PC-CT) can analyze the effective atomic number (Zeff) of the subject, it is expected to be applied to the analysis of plaque components. The purpose of this study was to investigate the applicability of plaque analysis based on Zeff images with continuous gradation.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Zeff images were generated from virtual monoenergetic images (VMIs) obtained by PC-CT. Zeff values were derived from the difference between linear attenuation coefficients (μ) at low and high energies using an in-house program. Coronary CT images of 64 plaques in 10 patients were analyzed. The Zeff score, calculated as the sum of Zeff values within the plaque region, was calculated and compared with the conventional Agatston score and mean coronary artery calcium (CAC) score.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The systematic uncertainty of Zeff images was estimated to be ±0.08. The Zeff score of actual patient data showed strong positive correlations with the conventional Agatston and mean CAC scores. The Zeff score uses all voxel data in the plaque area, whereas conventional scores consider only data from voxels with a CT value >130. We found that the conventional scores excluded 39% of the plaque area, and the Zeff score permitted the analysis of low- and high-density plaques.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Zeff imaging was shown to be applicable to plaque analysis that reflects the entire plaque volume. This study demonstrated its technical feasibility as a compositional analysis method using the Zeff image.</p>","PeriodicalId":14486,"journal":{"name":"Investigative Radiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.0000,"publicationDate":"2025-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":"{\"title\":\"Applicability of Effective Atomic Number (Zeff) Image Analysis of Coronary Plaques Measured With Photon- Counting Computed Tomography.\",\"authors\":\"Takashi Asahara, Mana Mitani, Natsumi Kimoto, Rina Nishigami, Kazuki Takegami, Yusuke Morimitsu, Noriaki Akagi, Toru Miyoshi, Yuki Kanazawa, Toshihiro Iguchi, Hiroaki Hayashi\",\"doi\":\"10.1097/RLI.0000000000001237\",\"DOIUrl\":null,\"url\":null,\"abstract\":\"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Coronary computed tomography (CT) allows the assessment of cardiovascular risk by imaging calcified plaques in coronary arteries. Because photon-counting CT (PC-CT) can analyze the effective atomic number (Zeff) of the subject, it is expected to be applied to the analysis of plaque components. The purpose of this study was to investigate the applicability of plaque analysis based on Zeff images with continuous gradation.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Zeff images were generated from virtual monoenergetic images (VMIs) obtained by PC-CT. Zeff values were derived from the difference between linear attenuation coefficients (μ) at low and high energies using an in-house program. Coronary CT images of 64 plaques in 10 patients were analyzed. The Zeff score, calculated as the sum of Zeff values within the plaque region, was calculated and compared with the conventional Agatston score and mean coronary artery calcium (CAC) score.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The systematic uncertainty of Zeff images was estimated to be ±0.08. The Zeff score of actual patient data showed strong positive correlations with the conventional Agatston and mean CAC scores. The Zeff score uses all voxel data in the plaque area, whereas conventional scores consider only data from voxels with a CT value >130. We found that the conventional scores excluded 39% of the plaque area, and the Zeff score permitted the analysis of low- and high-density plaques.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Zeff imaging was shown to be applicable to plaque analysis that reflects the entire plaque volume. This study demonstrated its technical feasibility as a compositional analysis method using the Zeff image.</p>\",\"PeriodicalId\":14486,\"journal\":{\"name\":\"Investigative Radiology\",\"volume\":\" \",\"pages\":\"\"},\"PeriodicalIF\":8.0000,\"publicationDate\":\"2025-09-22\",\"publicationTypes\":\"Journal Article\",\"fieldsOfStudy\":null,\"isOpenAccess\":false,\"openAccessPdf\":\"\",\"citationCount\":\"0\",\"resultStr\":null,\"platform\":\"Semanticscholar\",\"paperid\":null,\"PeriodicalName\":\"Investigative Radiology\",\"FirstCategoryId\":\"3\",\"ListUrlMain\":\"https://doi.org/10.1097/RLI.0000000000001237\",\"RegionNum\":1,\"RegionCategory\":\"医学\",\"ArticlePicture\":[],\"TitleCN\":null,\"AbstractTextCN\":null,\"PMCID\":null,\"EPubDate\":\"\",\"PubModel\":\"\",\"JCR\":\"Q1\",\"JCRName\":\"RADIOLOGY, NUCLEAR MEDICINE & MEDICAL IMAGING\",\"Score\":null,\"Total\":0}","platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Investigative Radiology","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1097/RLI.0000000000001237","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"RADIOLOGY, NUCLEAR MEDICINE & MEDICAL IMAGING","Score":null,"Total":0}
Applicability of Effective Atomic Number (Zeff) Image Analysis of Coronary Plaques Measured With Photon- Counting Computed Tomography.
Objective: Coronary computed tomography (CT) allows the assessment of cardiovascular risk by imaging calcified plaques in coronary arteries. Because photon-counting CT (PC-CT) can analyze the effective atomic number (Zeff) of the subject, it is expected to be applied to the analysis of plaque components. The purpose of this study was to investigate the applicability of plaque analysis based on Zeff images with continuous gradation.
Methods: Zeff images were generated from virtual monoenergetic images (VMIs) obtained by PC-CT. Zeff values were derived from the difference between linear attenuation coefficients (μ) at low and high energies using an in-house program. Coronary CT images of 64 plaques in 10 patients were analyzed. The Zeff score, calculated as the sum of Zeff values within the plaque region, was calculated and compared with the conventional Agatston score and mean coronary artery calcium (CAC) score.
Results: The systematic uncertainty of Zeff images was estimated to be ±0.08. The Zeff score of actual patient data showed strong positive correlations with the conventional Agatston and mean CAC scores. The Zeff score uses all voxel data in the plaque area, whereas conventional scores consider only data from voxels with a CT value >130. We found that the conventional scores excluded 39% of the plaque area, and the Zeff score permitted the analysis of low- and high-density plaques.
Conclusions: Zeff imaging was shown to be applicable to plaque analysis that reflects the entire plaque volume. This study demonstrated its technical feasibility as a compositional analysis method using the Zeff image.
期刊介绍：
Investigative Radiology publishes original, peer-reviewed reports on clinical and laboratory investigations in diagnostic imaging, the diagnostic use of radioactive isotopes, computed tomography, positron emission tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasound, digital subtraction angiography, and related modalities. Emphasis is on early and timely publication. Primarily research-oriented, the journal also includes a wide variety of features of interest to clinical radiologists.
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