Association of Iliofemoral Calcium Score and Major Vascular Complications within the First Year after Lower Limb Endovascular Revascularization.

Background: The accumulation of calcium load in peripheral lower extremity arteries has been associated with increased severity of peripheral artery disease (PAD) and mortality. While calcium scores are commonly calculated from non-contrast computed tomography (CT) scans, patients with PAD often undergo contrast-enhanced CT scans. This study aims to explore the association between a length-adjusted calcium score (LACS) of the iliofemoral arteries, determined through pre-intervention contrast-enhanced CT, and major adverse events in patients with chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI).

Effect of contrast phase on quantitative analysis of skeletal muscle and adipose tissue by computed tomography.

Objectives: Significant variability exists in the contrast phases applied during computed tomography (CT) studies when assessing morphometric measurements of muscle area (CT-assessed sarcopenia) and density (CT-assessed myosteatosis) and visceral adipose tissue area (CT-assessed visceral obesity). This study explored the impact of contrast phase timing on changes in morphometric measurements of body composition.

Methods: This single-center retrospective cohort study included 459 patients undergoing a multiphase CT scan.

Objective comparison of commonly used computed tomography body composition analysis software.

Objectives: Sarcopenia is defined as an age-related, involuntary loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength. This condition is increasingly gaining clinical attention, as it has proved a predictor of complications and unfavorable outcomes in several diseases. For analysis of body composition on computed tomography images, several different software packages are used.

Validation of a Length-Adjusted Abdominal Arterial Calcium Score Method for Contrast-Enhanced CT Scans.

Background: The Agatston score on noncontrast computed tomography (CT) scans is the gold standard for calcium load determination. However, contrast-enhanced CT is commonly used for patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases (ASCVDs), such as peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD) and abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). Currently, there is no validated method to determine calcium load in the aorta and peripheral arteries with a contrast-enhanced CT.

The Impact of Lower Extremity Skeletal Muscle Atrophy and Myosteatosis on Revascularization Outcomes in Patients with Peripheral Arterial Disease.

Background: This study investigated whether lower extremity muscle atrophy and myosteatosis in patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) are correlated to postoperative outcomes, such as reintervention or amputation-free survival.

Methods: In this single-center retrospective cohort study of 462 patients treated for peripheral arterial disease scheduled for intervention, muscle mass and the presence of fattening of the lower extremity muscles were measured semiautomatically in a single computed tomography slice of the treated leg. Binary logistic regression models and Cox proportional hazards models were used to determine the effect of muscle atrophy and myosteatosis on reintervention and amputation.

Effect of muscle depletion on survival in peripheral arterial occlusive disease: Quality over quantity.

Objective: Patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD) have a poor prognosis and a high prevalence of comorbidity. This study investigated whether sarcopenia and/or myosteatosis negatively affect long-term survival in patients with PAOD.

Methods: This was a single-center, retrospective cohort study of 686 consecutive patients diagnosed and treated for PAOD and who underwent computed tomography scanning.

Quantification of muscle mass in the legs of patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease: associations between volumetric and cross-sectional single-slice measurements for identification of atrophy and focal sarcopenia.

Background: Sarcopenia, commonly determined by measuring skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) at the third lumbar level, has been identified as a predictor of clinical outcome in a variety of diseases. For patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD), we hypothesized that lower extremity SMI (LESMI) might be a more precise predictor of outcome and the extent of chronic ischemia than the systemic muscle mass at the L3 level. We investigated the association between complete muscle volume and muscle area derived with single-slice 2-dimensional measurements in the legs to identify at which level cross-sectional single-slice measurements are most representative of the muscle volume and investigated whether LESMI is associated with systemic sarcopenia and PAOD severity.

Software reproducibility of myocardial blood flow and flow reserve quantification in ischemic heart disease: A N-ammonia PET study.

Background: We explored agreement in the quantification of myocardial perfusion by cross-comparison of implemented software packages (SPs) in three distinguishable patient profile populations.

Methods: We studied 91 scans of patients divided into 3 subgroups based on their semi-quantitative perfusion findings: patients with normal perfusion, with reversible perfusion defects, and with fixed perfusion defects. Rest myocardial blood flow (MBF), stress MBF, and myocardial flow reserve (MFR) were obtained with QPET, SyngoMBF, and Carimas.