An Exploratory Investigation into Optimal Indicators and Thresholds for Anemia Diagnosis Through Abdominal CT Plain...

This study aimed to assess the diagnostic utility and optimal thresholds of abdominal CT plain scans in identifying various degrees of anemia.

We included 40 participants in each of the mild, moderate, and severe anemia groups, totaling 120 participants, along with 40 healthy controls. We measured CT values of several abdominal structures, including the abdominal aorta (AA), inferior vena cava (IVC), liver, bilateral kidneys, spleen, and lumbar spinal cord (LSC), in both the normal and anemia groups. Additionally, we calculated the difference and ratio of CT values between AA and LSC and IVC and LSC. We analyzed the correlation between these parameters and hemoglobin (Hb) concentration. The most effective indicators and thresholds for diagnosing varying degrees of anemia using abdominal CT plain scans were identified.

Significant differences were observed in hemoglobin concentration, CT values of AA, CT values of IVC, liver CT values, kidney CT values, and the ratios of CT values between AA and LSC, as well as IVC and LSC, among the four groups (P < .05). However, no significant differences were found in spleen CT values and CT values of LSC between the groups (P > .05). The CT values of AA, IVC, the ratios of AA to LSC, and IVC to LSC displayed significant positive linear correlations with hemoglobin concentration. Optimal thresholds for diagnosing mild, moderate, and severe anemia in AA were found to be 35.43, 33.2, and 30.2 HU, respectively, while for IVC, they were 34.18, 31.27, and 28.1 HU, respectively.

Among the various parameters obtained from abdominal CT plain scans, the CT value of the abdominal aorta demonstrated the highest diagnostic efficacy in distinguishing between different degrees of anemia.