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Spectral ultrahigh-resolution photon-counting CT for coronary stent imaging: evaluation in a dynamic phantom
Muhammad Taha Hagar1,2, Tilman Emrich1,3,4, Milán Vecsey-Nagy1,5
1Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
Background:
We compared ultrahigh-resolution (UHR) photon-counting detector-computed tomography (PCD-CT) and spectral post-processed images for coronary stent visualization in a dynamic, anthropomorphic, and circulatory phantom.
Materials And Methods:
Ten coronary stents were scanned at 60, 80, and 100 beats per min (bpm) using UHR-spectral PCD-CT (96 × 0.2 mm collimation). Reconstructions included UHR (0.2 mm), downsampled (0.6 mm), and spectral post-processed images (0.4 mm), including virtual monoenergetic images (VMI; 45-100 keV), lumen-preserving images, and iodine maps (IM). Objective quality was assessed by measurable stent lumen visibility and stent strut width overestimation factor, compared to nominal strut width. Subjective quality was rated using a 4-point Likert scale. Repeated-measures analysis of variance-ANOVA and Friedman test with post hoc corrections were applied.
Results:
UHR images provided the highest lumen visibility (62.6 ± 7.6%) at 60 bpm, outperforming all reconstructions ranging 43.5-52.7% (p ≤ 0.001) except IM (59.6 ± 11.9%, pairwise p = 0.839). UHR showed the lowest strut overestimation factor (18.1 ± 3.4), better than all spectral images (20.2-26.2, p ≤ 0.003) and DS (32.1 ± 6.5, p < 0.001). Subjective quality was best for UHR at 60 bpm (4.0 [interquartile range, IQR 4.0-4.0]) but declined at 100 bpm (3.0 [IQR 2.0-3.0], p < 0.01). VMI at 55 keV and IM maintained stable quality across heart rates (p ≥ 0.09).
Conclusion:
PCD-CT combining UHR and spectral imaging enhances stent assessment. UHR provides the best lumen visibility and strut accuracy but suffers from motion artifacts, whereas VMIs at 55 keV and IM remain stable across heart rates and potentially provide incremental value.
Relevance Statement:
Combining UHR and spectral PCD-CT enhances coronary stent visualization by balancing high spatial detail with artifact reduction, potentially improving diagnostic confidence and enabling more reliable non-invasive follow-up across a range of heart rates in clinical practice.
Key Points:
The combined value of spectral UHR CT for stent imaging remains largely unexplored. UHR PCD-CT showed the highest lumen visibility and sharpest strut delineation, whilst being prone to motion artifacts. Spectral reconstructions complement UHR by reducing artifacts and stabilizing image quality, especially at higher heart rates.
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