Reproducibility of aortic valve calcification scoring with computed tomography - An interplatform analysis

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Radiology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Aortic valve calcification (AVC) scoring is crucial for assessing aortic stenosis severity.
• Variability in AVC scoring across different software platforms may impact clinical decisions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the comparability of AVC Agatston scores generated by four commercial workstation platforms.
• To determine if AVC scoring is software-independent for assessing aortic stenosis.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of CT scans from 100 patients with symptomatic aortic stenosis.
• AVC scoring performed by two observers using four vendor software platforms (GE, Philips, Siemens, 3mensio).
• Statistical analyses included Kruskal-Wallis, Spearman correlation, linear regression, and Bland-Altman analysis.

Main Results:

• All platforms showed excellent correlation (r=0.991-0.996) and minimal differences in AVC Agatston scores.
• Bland-Altman analysis revealed small mean differences and narrow limits of agreement between platforms.
• Likelihood category assignment for severe aortic stenosis was consistent across platforms, with no significant differences observed.

Conclusions:

• Commercially available software platforms yield comparable results for AVC scoring.
• The AVC scoring method demonstrates software-independence, supporting its reliable use in clinical practice.