Effect of iterative reconstruction on variability and reproducibility of epicardial fat volume quantification by cardiac CT.

Background: The epicardial fat volume (EFV) measured by cardiac CT has emerged as an important parameter for understanding the pathophysiology of coronary atherosclerosis.

Objective: We investigated the variability and reproducibility of EFV measurements and evaluated the effect of model-based type iterative reconstruction (M-IR) on measurement results.

Methods: Non-contrast cardiac CT data (tube voltage 120-kVp, tube current time product 32 mAs) of 30 consecutive patients were reconstructed with filtered back projection (FBP), hybrid type iterative reconstruction (H-IR), and M-IR using a slice thickness of 3.0 mm. CT attenuation and image noise was measured for all reconstructions. Two observers independently quantified EFV using semi-automated software and interobserver agreement was evaluated.

Results: There was no significant difference in the CT attenuation of the ascending aorta among the three reconstructions. The mean image noise on FBP-, H-IR-, and M-IR images was 48.0 ± 7.9 HU, 29.6 ± 4.8 HU, and 9.3 ± 1.3 HU, respectively; there was a significant difference among all comparison combinations for the three reconstructions (p < 0.01). FBP yielded the highest EFV among the three reconstructions (171.0 ± 54.9 cm(3) [FBP], 153.8 ± 53.1 cm(3) [H-IR], and 134.0 ± 46.4 cm(3) [M-IR]). For all three reconstructions, interobserver correlations were excellent (r = 0.91 [FBP], 0.93 [H-IR], and 0.96 [M-IR]). Interobserver comparisons showed that the lowest Bland-Altman limit of agreement was with M-IR (mean difference 2.0 ± 4.9%, 95% limit of agreement, -24.0 to 28.0%) followed by H-IR (-2.6 ± 7.1%, -39.8 to 34.6%) and FBP (-0.2 ± 8.6%, -45.3- to 45.0%).

Conclusion: For the quantification of epicardial fat by cardiac CT, model-based iterative reconstruction can improve the image quality and lessen measurement variability.