Biomedical Imaging Group, Departments of Medical Informatics and Radiology, Erasmus MC-University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Int J Cardiovasc Imaging. 2012 Apr;28(4):877-87. doi: 10.1007/s10554-011-9890-6. Epub 2011 May 26.
The purpose of this study was to validate automated atherosclerotic plaque measurements in carotid arteries from CT angiography (CTA). We present an automated method (three initialization points are required) to measure plaque components within the carotid vessel wall in CTA. Plaque components (calcifications, fibrous tissue, lipids) are determined by different ranges of Hounsfield Unit values within the vessel wall. On CTA scans of 40 symptomatic patients with atherosclerotic plaque in the carotid artery automatically segmented plaque volume, calcified, fibrous and lipid percentages were 0.97 ± 0.51 cm(3), 10 ± 11%, 63 ± 10% and 25 ± 5%; while manual measurements by first observer were 0.95 ± 0.60 cm(3), 14 ± 16%, 63 ± 13% and 21 ± 9%, respectively and manual measurement by second observer were 1.05 ± 0.75 cm(3), 11 ± 12%, 61 ± 11% and 27 ± 10%. In 90 datasets, significant associations were found between age, gender, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, smoking and previous cerebrovascular disease and plaque features. For both automated and manual measurements, significant associations were found between: age and calcium and fibrous tissue percentage; gender and plaque volume and lipid percentage; diabetes and calcium, smoking and plaque volume; previous cerebrovascular disease and plaque volume. Significant associations found only by the automated method were between age and plaque volume, hypercholesterolemia and plaque volume and diabetes and fibrous tissue percentage. Significant association found only by the manual method was between previous cerebrovascular disease and percentage of fibrous tissue. Automated analysis of plaque composition in the carotid arteries is comparable with the manual analysis and has the potential to replace it.
本研究旨在验证 CT 血管造影（CTA）中颈动脉粥样硬化斑块的自动测量。我们提出了一种自动方法（需要三个初始化点）来测量 CTA 颈动脉壁内的斑块成分。斑块成分（钙化、纤维组织、脂质）通过血管壁内不同的亨氏单位值范围确定。在 40 名有症状的颈动脉粥样硬化斑块患者的 CTA 扫描中，自动分割的斑块体积、钙化、纤维和脂质百分比分别为 0.97 ± 0.51cm(3)、10 ± 11%、63 ± 10%和 25 ± 5%；而第一观察者的手动测量值分别为 0.95 ± 0.60cm(3)、14 ± 16%、63 ± 13%和 21 ± 9%，第二观察者的手动测量值分别为 1.05 ± 0.75cm(3)、11 ± 12%、61 ± 11%和 27 ± 10%。在 90 个数据集之间，发现年龄、性别、高胆固醇血症、糖尿病、吸烟和既往脑血管病与斑块特征之间存在显著相关性。对于自动和手动测量，发现以下因素之间存在显著相关性：年龄与钙和纤维组织百分比；性别与斑块体积和脂质百分比；糖尿病与钙、吸烟与斑块体积；既往脑血管病与斑块体积。仅通过自动方法发现的显著相关性是年龄与斑块体积、高胆固醇血症与斑块体积和糖尿病与纤维组织百分比之间的相关性。仅通过手动方法发现的显著相关性是既往脑血管病与纤维组织百分比之间的相关性。颈动脉粥样硬化斑块成分的自动分析与手动分析具有可比性，并有可能取代手动分析。
