Assessment of coronary artery XXXX using dual-energy subtraction digital radiography.

@entity1 @entity2073 @entity460 @entity729 @entity65
@entity65 is the leading cause of global mortality, yet its early detection remains a vexing problem of modern medicine. Although the computed tomography (CT) @entity460 score predicts cardiovascular risk, relatively high cost ( 250-400) and radiation dose (1-3 @entity2073 ) limit its universal utility as a screening tool. Dual-energy digital subtraction radiography (DE; < 60, 0.07 @entity2073 ) enables detection of calcified structures with high sensitivity. In this pilot study, we examined DE radiography's ability to quantify @entity729 (CAC). We identified 25 @entity1 who underwent non-contrast CT and DE chest imaging performed within 12 months using documented CAC as the major inclusion criteria. A DE @entity460 score was developed based on pixel intensity multiplied by the area of the calcified plaque. DE scores were plotted against CT scores. Subsequently, a validation cohort of 14 additional @entity1 was independently evaluated to confirm the accuracy and precision of CAC quantification, yielding a total of 39 subjects. Among all subjects (n   =   39), the DE score demonstrated a correlation coefficient of 0.87 (p   <   0.0001) when compared with the CT score. For the 13 @entity1 with CT scores of <400, the correlation coefficient was -0.26. For the 26 @entity1 with CT scores of >= 400, the correlation coefficient yielded 0.86. This pilot study demonstrates the feasibility of DE radiography to identify @entity1 at the highest cardiovascular risk. DE radiography's accuracy at lower scores remains unclear. Further evaluation of DE radiography as an inexpensive and low-radiation imaging tool to diagnose @entity65 appears warranted.
