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Clinical application of four-dimensional noise reduction filtering with a similarity algorithm in dynamic myocardial computed tomography perfusion imaging

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Abstract

We aimed to evaluate the effects of four-dimensional noise reduction filtering using a similarity algorithm (4D-SF) on the image quality and hemodynamic parameter of dynamic myocardial computed tomography perfusion (CTP). Sixty-eight patients who underwent dynamic myocardial CTP for the assessment of coronary artery disease were enrolled. Dynamic CTP was performed using a 320-row CT with low tube voltage scan (80 kVp). Two different datasets of dynamic CTP were reconstructed using iterative reconstruction (IR) alone and a combination of IR and 4D-SF. Qualitative (5-grade scale) and quantitative image quality scores were assessed, and the CT-derived myocardial blood flow (CT-MBF) was quantified. These results were compared between the two different CTP images. The qualitative image quality in CTP images reconstructed with IR and 4D-SF was significantly higher than that with IR alone (noise score: 4.7 vs. 3.4, p < 0.05). The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) in CTP images reconstructed with IR and 4D-SF were significantly higher than those with IR alone (SNR: 20.6 vs. 9.7; CNR: 7.9 vs. 3.9, respectively; p < 0.05). There was no significant difference in mean CT-MBF between the two sets of CTP images (3.01 vs. 3.03 mL/g/min, p = 0.1081). 4D-SF showed incremental value in improving image quality in combination with IR without altering CT-MBF quantification in dynamic myocardial CTP imaging with a low tube potential.

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Abbreviations

CAD:

Coronary artery disease

CMR:

Cardiac magnetic resonance

CNR:

Contrast-to-noise ratio

CT:

Computed tomography

CTA:

Computed tomography angiography

CTP:

Computed tomography perfusion

4D-SF:

4-Dimensional similarity filter

HU:

Hounsfield unit

ICC:

Intra-class correlation coefficients

IR:

Iterative reconstruction

MBF:

Myocardial blood flow

MPI:

Myocardial perfusion imaging

PET:

Positron emission tomography

ROI:

Regions of interest

SNR:

Signal-to-noise ratio

SPECT:

Single-photon emission tomography

SD:

Standard deviation

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Shitsukawa, Toon, Ehime, 791-0295, Japan

    Takanori Kouchi, Yuki Tanabe, Teruhito Kido, Akira Kurata, Yoshihiro Kouchi, Hikaru Nishiyama & Teruhito Mochizuki

  2. Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 10, 6525 GA, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

    Ewoud J. Smit & Mathias Prokop

  3. Department of Cardiology, Pulmonology, Hypertension and Nephrology, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Shitsukawa, Toon, Ehime, 791-0295, Japan

    Teruyoshi Uetani, Shuntaro Ikeda & Osamu Yamaguchi

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  1. Takanori Kouchi
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  2. Yuki Tanabe
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yuki Tanabe.

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Conflict of interest

Ewoud J. Smit is a speaker bureau of Canon Medical Systems, and receives research grant from Canon Medical Systems. He has a pending patent of 4D-SF, and gives the license to Canon Medical Systems. Mathias Prokop is a speaker bureau of Bayer, Bracco, Canon Medical Systems, and Siemens Healthineers, and receives research grant from Canon Medical Systems and Siemens Healthineers. He has a pending patent of 4D-SF, and gives the license to Canon Medical Systems. Takanori Kouchi declares that he has no conflict of interest. Yuki Tanabe declares that he has no conflict of interest. Teruhito Kido declares that he has no conflict of interest. Akira Kurata declares that he has no conflict of interest. Yoshihiro Kouchi declares that he has no conflict of interest. Hikaru Nishiyama declares that he has no conflict of interest. Teruyoshi Uetani declares that he has no conflict of interest. Shuntaro Ikeda declares that he has no conflict of interest. Osamu Yamaguchi declares that he has no conflict of interest. Teruhito Mochizuki declares that he has no conflict of interest.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. For this type of study formal consent is not required.

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The requirement for informed consent was waived by the institutional ethics committee (Registration Number: 1905007).

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Kouchi, T., Tanabe, Y., Smit, E.J. et al. Clinical application of four-dimensional noise reduction filtering with a similarity algorithm in dynamic myocardial computed tomography perfusion imaging. Int J Cardiovasc Imaging 36, 1781–1789 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10554-020-01878-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10554-020-01878-6

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