Ascending Aorta 4D Time to Peak Distention Sexual Dimorphism and Association with Coronary Plaque Burden Severity in Women.

Coronary artery disease (CAD) risk and plaque scores are often subjective and biased, particularly in mid-age asymptomatic women, whose CAD risk assessment has been historically underestimated. In this study, a new automatic ascending aorta time-to-peak-distention (TPD) analysis was developed for fast screening and as an independent surrogate for subclinical atherosclerosis in asymptomatic women. CCTA was obtained in 50 asymptomatic adults.

Automatic Assessment of 3D Coronary Artery Distensibility from Time-Resolved Coronary CT Angiography.

Measuring coronary artery distensibility can determine the arterial remodeling type, arterial wall inflammation, and atherosclerotic plaques in early stage even before any observed narrowing in the lumen. This is crucial to promote an appropriate, preventive, and effective treatment. This study introduces a framework for calculating the 3D distensibility of the left coronary artery (LCA) from time-resolved coronary computerized tomography angiography (CCTA) images.

Automatic Coronary Wall and Atherosclerotic Plaque Segmentation from 3D Coronary CT Angiography.

Coronary plaque burden measured by coronary computerized tomography angiography (CCTA), independent of stenosis, is a significant independent predictor of coronary heart disease (CHD) events and mortality. Hence, it is essential to develop comprehensive CCTA plaque quantification beyond existing subjective plaque volume or stenosis scoring methods. The purpose of this study is to develop a framework for automated 3D segmentation of CCTA vessel wall and quantification of atherosclerotic plaque, independent of the amount of stenosis, along with overcoming challenges caused by poor contrast, motion artifacts, severe stenosis, and degradation of image quality.