Spectral CT beats CT at illuminating heart plaque

Publication
Article
Diagnostic Imaging EuropeDiagnostic Imaging Europe Vol 26 No 7
Volume 26
Issue 7

Radiologists can for the first time visualize those coronary artery plaques vulnerable to rupture using spectral CT, an innovati that will lead to better and earlier diagnosis of cardiovascular disease, according to researchers.

Radiologists can for the first time visualize those coronary artery plaques vulnerable to rupture using spectral CT, an innovati that will lead to better and earlier diagnosis of cardiovascular disease, according to researchers. Ruptures of atherosclerotic plaques are the cause of nearly 70% of heart attacks. High-density lipoproteins (HDL) gravitate to plaques vulnerable to rupture and remove them from the arterial wall. Researchers from the Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York inserted tiny gold particles into HDL and injected mice with the altered entity. Using a spectral CT scanner from Philips Medical Systems, the researchers were able to see the gold particles as the HDL targeted microphages, thus illuminating the location of the vulnerable plaques.

Conventional CT provides a gray image of the artery with not enough contrast to differentiate types and density of tissue. Spectral CT shows the effect of gold particles while also distinguishing calcium deposits and contrast agents. Together, this information is used to identify stenoses, thus helping define both the severity of atherosclerosis and heart attack risk.

Recent Videos
Can AI Assessment of Longitudinal MRI Scans Improve Prediction for Pediatric Glioma Recurrence?
A Closer Look at MRI-Guided Adaptive Radiotherapy for Monitoring and Treating Glioblastomas
Incorporating CT Colonography into Radiology Practice
What New Research Reveals About Computed Tomography and Radiation-Induced Cancer Risk
What New Interventional Radiology Research Reveals About Treatment for Breast Cancer Liver Metastases
New Mammography Studies Assess Image-Based AI Risk Models and Breast Arterial Calcification Detection
Can Deep Learning Provide a CT-Less Alternative for Attenuation Compensation with SPECT MPI?
Employing AI in Detecting Subdural Hematomas on Head CTs: An Interview with Jeremy Heit, MD, PhD
Pertinent Insights into the Imaging of Patients with Marfan Syndrome
What New Brain MRI Research Reveals About Cannabis Use and Working Memory Tasks
Related Content
© 2025 MJH Life Sciences

All rights reserved.