Optimizing reconstruction parameters for coronary artery calcium scoring with the purecalcium algorithm on photon-counting detector CT:a preliminary study
ZHANG Huixin
JIN Dongsheng
LUO Song
ZHAO Yan'e
YUAN Yong
CHEN Jiliang
HU Qiuju
LU Guangming
Abstract：Objective To evaluate the accuracy of coronary artery calcium scoring(CACS)measured using the PureCalcium virtual non-iodine algorithm on photon-counting detector CT(PCD-CT)under different slice thicknesses,keV,and quantum iterative reconstruction(QIR)parameters,and to identify the optimal reconstruction parameters.Methods A total of 64 patients undergoing PCD-CT coronary CTA(CCTA)were prospectively included.The CACS obtained from true non-contrast enhanced scan(CACSTNC)was used as the reference standard.PureCalcium images were reconstructed with varying parameters,including slice thickness(3 mm,1.5 mm),keV(55-75),and QIR strength(1,4),to calculate CACSPureCalcium.The differences between CACSPureCalcium and CACSTNC were analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test.Correlation between CACSPureCalcium and CACSTNC was performed using Spearman's correlation coefficient,and agreement was assessed using the intraclass correlation coefficient(ICC)and Bland-Altman analysis.Results No statistically significant differences between CACSPureCalcium and CACSTNC was observed at 3 mm slice thickness,55/60/65 keV,and QIR 1/4,or at 70 keV and QIR 1,and at 1.5 mm slice thickness,55 keV and QIR 1/4,or at 60 keV and QIR 1(all P>0.05).CACSPureCalcium demonstrated a strong positive correlation with CACSTNC across all tested slice thicknesses,keV levels,and QIR strengths(r=0.94-0.98,all P<0.05).The smallest bias between CACSPureCalcium and CACSTNC was observed at a slice thickness of 1.5 mm,55 keV,and QIR 1(Bias:4.28,95%limits of agreement:167.29/-158.72).Conclusion Slice thickness,keV level,and QIR strength significantly influence the CACS results.The reconstruction parameters of a 1.5 mm slice thickness,55 keV,and QIR 1 produce CACSPureCalcium results closest to CACSTNC.
Keywords：Photon-counting detector CTVirtual non-iodine algorithmPureCalcium algorithmCoronary artery calcium scoringCoronary artery disease
Publication Date：2024-11-15
Online Publishing Date：2025-08-15(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：6( 654-659 )