Non-invasive characterization of coronary artery atherosclerotic plaque using dual energy CT: Explanation in ex-vivo samples.

Purpose: In this study non-calcified plaque composition is evaluated by Dual Energy CT (DECT). Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS) has been used to study the Plaque composition. An attempt has been made to explain the DECT results with EDS analysis.

Methods: Thirty-two ex-vivo human cadaver coronary artery samples were scanned by DECT and data was evaluated to calculate their effective atomic number and electron density (Z & ρ) by inversion method. Result of DECT was compared with pathology to assess their differentiating capability. The EDS study was used to explain DECT outcome.

Results: DECT study was able to differentiate vulnerable plaque from stable with 87% accuracy (area under the curve (AUC):0.85 [95% confidence interval {CI}:0.73-0.98}] and Kappa Coefficient (KC):0.75 with respect to pathology. EDS revealed significant compositional difference in vulnerable and stable plaque at p < .05. The weight percentage of higher atomic number elements like F, Na, Mg, S, Si, P, Cl, K and Ca was found to be slightly more in vulnerable plaques as compared to a stable plaque. EDS also revealed a significantly increased weight percentage of nitrogen in stable plaques.

Conclusions: The EDS results were able to explain the outcomes of DECT study. This study conclusively explains the physics of DECT as a tool to assess the nature of non-calcified plaques as vulnerable and stable. The method proposed in this study allows for differentiation between vulnerable and stable plaque using DECT.