Computer densitometry for angiographic assessment of arterial cholesterol content and gross pathology in human atherosclerosis.

Sequential change studies in human atherosclerosis are desirable in disease regression trials but are now limited by dependence on the occurrence of epidemiologic end-points. Prior radiographic studies have pertained to advanced obstructive atherosclerosis. This is a study of measures applied by computer-generated densitometry of angiograms to assess early to advanced nonobstructive atherosclerosis. Measures are based on pathologic and angiographic appearance of all stages of atherosclerosis and include image edge roughness, local width, and local contrast density changes. Femoral angiograms were made in 21 cadavers under simulated clinical conditions, with a pressurized radiopaque casting material. Full-size color photographs were made of 10 cm. segments of opened artery, with matching cast and arterial specimens analyzed for cholesterol content. Four graders, on two occasions, sequenced the photographs in increasing order of disease on the basis of the International Atherosclerosis Grading scheme. The correlation between the two sessions was 0.93. Thirteen computer indices correlated significantly with visual grade and cholesterol and were allowed to compete in a step-wise regression for best indices of prediction. Computer index correlation coefficient for visual grade prediction was 0.86, and for cholesterol content, 0.84. Computer densitometry measurement appears useful in the evaluation of all stages of atherosclerosis as recorded angiographically and obviates the necessity for exacting visual comparisons of large numbers of films.