Dual-Energy CTA with Bone Removal for Transcranial Arteries:

Rationale and Objectives

Dual-source computed tomography enables bone removal on computed tomographic angiographic data on the basis of simultaneous dual-energy (DE) acquisition. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of this technique for the assessment of transcranial arteries. Therefore, the degree of stenosis of the transcranial arteries on DE computed tomographic angiography (CTA) with bone removal was compared to those on standard CTA and time-of-flight (TOF) magnetic resonance angiography (MRA).

Materials and Methods

DE-CTA was performed using a dual-source computed tomographic scanner in 50 patients with suspected cerebrovascular disease. From the source images on DE-CTA, data sets with and without bone removal were reconstructed. TOF-MRA was performed on a 1.5-T scanner. Two blinded radiologists evaluated the segments of the internal carotid artery (C2–C7), the vertebral artery (V4), and the basilar artery for degree of stenosis. A five-step scale (0%–49%, 50%–69%, 70%–89%, 90%–99%, and 100% [occlusion]) for degree of stenosis was applied. Wilcoxon's signed-rank test was used for statistical analysis.

Results

The degrees of stenosis on standard CTA were consistent with those on TOF-MRA in all segments. In contrast, DE-CTA showed significantly higher degrees of stenosis compared to standard CTA and TOF-MRA in both C2 segments (P < .001). In addition, DE-CTA revealed a significantly higher degree of stenosis compared to standard CTA and TOF-MRA in the left C4 segment (P < .01 and P < .005, respectively). All other segments showed no significant differences of stenosis among TOF-MRA, DE-CTA, and standard CTA.

Conclusions

Compared to TOF-MRA, standard CTA showed similar results. In contrast, DE-CTA revealed significant overestimation of stenosis for segments with close relations to bony structures as well as in calcified stenosis. Consequently, such findings on DE-CTA require confirmation with standard CTA or MRA to eliminate false-positive results.

Key Words: Dual energy, computed tomographic angiography, bone removal, stenosis grading, comparative study