Accuracy of Coronary Plaque Detection and Assessment of Interobserver Agreement for Plaque Quantification Using Automatic Coronary Plaque Analysis Software on Coronary CT Angiography.

PURPOSE

To evaluate the accuracy of automatic plaque detection and the interobserver agreement of automatic versus manually adjusted quantification of coronary plaques on coronary CT angiography (cCTA) using commercially available software.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

10 cCTA datasets were evaluated using plaque software. First, the automatically detected plaques were verified. Second, two observers independently performed plaque quantification without revising the automatically constructed plaque contours (automatic approach). Then, each observer adjusted the plaque contours according to plaque delineation (adjusted approach). The interobserver agreement of both approaches was analyzed.

RESULTS

32 of 114 automatically identified findings were true-positive plaques, while 82 (72 %) were false-positive. 20 of 52 plaques (38 %) were missed by the software (false-negative). The automatic approach provided good interobserver agreement with relative differences of 0.9 ± 16.0 % for plaque area and -3.3 ± 33.8 % for plaque volume. Both observers independently adjusted all contours because they did not represent the plaque delineation. Interobserver agreement decreased for the adjusted approach with relative differences of 25.0 ± 24.8 % for plaque area and 20.0 ± 40.4 % for plaque volume.

CONCLUSION

The automatic plaque analysis software is of limited value due to high numbers of false-positive and false-negative plaque findings. The automatic approach was reproducible but it necessitated adjustment of all constructed plaque contours resulting in deterioration of the interobserver agreement.

KEY POINTS

• Automatic plaque detection is limited due to high false-positive and false-negative findings.• Automatic plaque quantification was reproducible in the few accurately detected plaques.• The automatically constructed contours did not represent the plaque delineation.• Both observers independently adjusted the plaque contours.• Manual adjustment of plaque contours reduced the interobserver agreement. Citation Format: • Laqmani A, Klink T, Quitzke M et al. Accuracy of Coronary Plaque Detection and Assessment of Interobserver Agreement for Plaque Quantification Using Automatic Coronary Plaque Analysis Software on Coronary CT Angiography. Fortschr Röntgenstr 2016; 188: 933 - 939.