Grating-based X-ray phase-contrast tomography of atherosclerotic plaque at high photon energies
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Grating-based X-ray phase-contrast tomography of atherosclerotic plaque at high photon energies. / Hetterich, Holger; Fill, Sandra; Herzen, Julia; Willner, Marian; Zanette, Irene; Weitkamp, Timm; Rack, Alexander; Schüller, Ulrich; Sadeghi, Mojtaba; Brandl, Richard; Adam-Neumair, Silvia; Reiser, Maximilian; Pfeiffer, Franz; Bamberg, Fabian; Saam, Tobias.
In: Z MED PHYS, Vol. 23, No. 3, 09.2013, p. 194-203.Research output: SCORING: Contribution to journal › SCORING: Journal article › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Grating-based X-ray phase-contrast tomography of atherosclerotic plaque at high photon energies
AU - Hetterich, Holger
AU - Fill, Sandra
AU - Herzen, Julia
AU - Willner, Marian
AU - Zanette, Irene
AU - Weitkamp, Timm
AU - Rack, Alexander
AU - Schüller, Ulrich
AU - Sadeghi, Mojtaba
AU - Brandl, Richard
AU - Adam-Neumair, Silvia
AU - Reiser, Maximilian
AU - Pfeiffer, Franz
AU - Bamberg, Fabian
AU - Saam, Tobias
N1 - Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier GmbH.
PY - 2013/9
Y1 - 2013/9
N2 - BACKGROUND: Tissue characterization of atherosclerosis by absorption-based imaging methods is limited due to low soft-tissue contrast. Grating-based phase-contrast computed tomography (PC-CT) may become an alternative for plaque assessment if the phase signal can be retrieved at clinically applicable photon energies. The aims of this feasibility study were (i) to characterize arterial vessels at low and high photon energies, (ii) to extract qualitative features and (iii) quantitative phase-contrast Hounsfield units (HU-phase) of plaque components at 53 keV using histopathology as gold standard.MATERIALS AND METHODS: Five human carotid artery specimens underwent grating-based PC-CT using synchrotron radiation of either 23 keV or 53 keV and histological work-up. Specimens without advanced atherosclerosis were used to extract signal criteria of vessel layers. Diseased specimens were screened for important plaque components including fibrous tissue (FT), lipid (LIP), necrotic core (NEC), intraplaque hemorrhage (IPH), inflammatory cell infiltration (INF) and calcifications (CA). Qualitative features as well as quantitative HU-phase were analyzed.RESULTS: Thirty-three regions in 6 corresponding PC-CT scans and histology sections were identified. Healthy samples had the same signal characteristics at 23 keV and 53 keV with bright tunica intima and adventitia and dark media. Plaque components showed differences in signal intensity and texture at 53 keV. Quantitative analysis demonstrated the highest HU-phase of soft plaque in dense FT. Less organized LIP, NEC and INF were associated with lower HU-phase values. The highest HU-phase were measured in CA.CONCLUSION: PC-CT of atherosclerosis is feasible at high, clinically relevant photon energies and provides detailed information about plaque structure including features of high risk vulnerable plaques.
AB - BACKGROUND: Tissue characterization of atherosclerosis by absorption-based imaging methods is limited due to low soft-tissue contrast. Grating-based phase-contrast computed tomography (PC-CT) may become an alternative for plaque assessment if the phase signal can be retrieved at clinically applicable photon energies. The aims of this feasibility study were (i) to characterize arterial vessels at low and high photon energies, (ii) to extract qualitative features and (iii) quantitative phase-contrast Hounsfield units (HU-phase) of plaque components at 53 keV using histopathology as gold standard.MATERIALS AND METHODS: Five human carotid artery specimens underwent grating-based PC-CT using synchrotron radiation of either 23 keV or 53 keV and histological work-up. Specimens without advanced atherosclerosis were used to extract signal criteria of vessel layers. Diseased specimens were screened for important plaque components including fibrous tissue (FT), lipid (LIP), necrotic core (NEC), intraplaque hemorrhage (IPH), inflammatory cell infiltration (INF) and calcifications (CA). Qualitative features as well as quantitative HU-phase were analyzed.RESULTS: Thirty-three regions in 6 corresponding PC-CT scans and histology sections were identified. Healthy samples had the same signal characteristics at 23 keV and 53 keV with bright tunica intima and adventitia and dark media. Plaque components showed differences in signal intensity and texture at 53 keV. Quantitative analysis demonstrated the highest HU-phase of soft plaque in dense FT. Less organized LIP, NEC and INF were associated with lower HU-phase values. The highest HU-phase were measured in CA.CONCLUSION: PC-CT of atherosclerosis is feasible at high, clinically relevant photon energies and provides detailed information about plaque structure including features of high risk vulnerable plaques.
KW - Carotid Stenosis
KW - Humans
KW - Photons
KW - Radiographic Image Enhancement
KW - Refractometry
KW - Reproducibility of Results
KW - Sensitivity and Specificity
KW - Tomography, X-Ray Computed
KW - X-Ray Diffraction
KW - Journal Article
KW - Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
U2 - 10.1016/j.zemedi.2012.12.001
DO - 10.1016/j.zemedi.2012.12.001
M3 - SCORING: Journal article
C2 - 23313616
VL - 23
SP - 194
EP - 203
JO - Z MED PHYS
JF - Z MED PHYS
SN - 0939-3889
IS - 3
ER -
