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Quantitative X-ray imaging of intraplaque hemorrhage in aortas of apoE(-/-)/LDL(-/-) double knockout mice
Alexander C Langheinrich1, Agata Michniewicz, Daniel G Sedding
1Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota 55905, USA.
Insights
Dual-energy CT imaging can detect and quantify iron deposits from arterial wall hemorrhage in atherosclerotic lesions. This method distinguishes iron from calcium, aiding in the diagnosis of vascular conditions.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Imaging
- Cardiovascular Research
- Materials Science
Background:
- Atherosclerosis involves arterial wall changes, including potential hemorrhage.
- Detecting hemorrhage within arterial walls is crucial for understanding disease progression.
- Current imaging methods may struggle to differentiate iron from calcium deposits.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the feasibility of using dual-energy CT to detect iron content from hemorrhage in arterial walls.
- To differentiate iron deposits from calcium deposits in atherosclerotic lesions using CT imaging.
Main Methods:
- Micro-CT scanning and histology were performed on aortas from apoE(-/-)/LDL(-/-) mice.
- Dual-energy scanning was conducted at specific energy levels using synchrotron-based micro-CT and 64-slice CT.
- Histology and micro-x-ray fluorescence identified roentgen-opacities as iron or calcium.
Main Results:
- Hemorrhage-related opacities contained both iron (Fe) and calcium (Ca).
- Isolated confluent accumulations consisted exclusively of calcium.
- Dual-energy CT subtraction successfully discriminated between iron and calcium deposits.
Conclusions:
- Dual-energy CT imaging is effective for detecting and quantifying iron deposits in hemorrhaged atherosclerotic lesions.
- This technique offers a method to identify hemorrhage-related iron accumulation in arteries.
Objectives:
To determine if hemorrhage into an arterial wall can be detected in CT images by virtue of the iron content.
Materials And Methods:
Aortas from male apoE(-/-)/LDL(-/-) mice (n = 31) were infused in situ with contrast agent, for micro-CT scanning and histology. Roentgen-opacities within the aortic walls were identified by histology and micro-x-ray fluorescence to be iron or calcium. Dual-energy scanning was performed at 2 energy levels using synchrotron-based micro-CT [(2 microm)(3) voxels, 16 and 20 keV] and 64-slice CT (0.4 x 0.4 x 0.6 mm voxels, 80 and 120 kVp).
Results:
Opacities were identified as hemorrhage-related clusters of multiple punctate deposits, containing both Fe (0.48 x 10(-12) g/voxel) and Ca (3.18 x 10(-2) g/voxel), or as isolated confluent accumulations of exclusively calcium. Subtraction of the dual-energy CT scans discriminated iron from calcium deposits.
Conclusion:
Detection and quantification of iron deposits in hemorrhaged atherosclerotic lesions is feasible by dual-energy CT imaging.
