Monitoring Sarcoma Response to Immune Checkpoint Inhibition and Local Cryotherapy with Circulating Tumor DNA Analysis.

PURPOSE: Immune checkpoint inhibition has led to promising responses in soft tissue sarcomas (STS), but the majority of patients do not respond and biomarkers of response will be crucial. Local ablative therapies may augment systemic responses to immunotherapy. We evaluated circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) as a biomarker of response in patients treated on a trial combining immunotherapy with local cryotherapy for advanced STS. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We enrolled 30 patients with unresectable or metastatic STS to a phase II clinical trial. Patients received ipilimumab and nivolumab for four doses followed by nivolumab alone with cryoablation performed between cycles 1 and 2. The primary endpoint was objective response rate (ORR) by 14 weeks. Personalized ctDNA analysis using bespoke panels was performed on blood samples collected prior to each immunotherapy cycle. RESULTS: ctDNA was detected in at least one sample for 96% of patients. Pretreatment ctDNA allele fraction was negatively associated with treatment response, progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS). ctDNA increased in 90% of patients from pretreatment to postcryotherapy, and patients with a subsequent decrease in ctDNA or undetectable ctDNA after cryotherapy had significantly better PFS. Of the 27 evaluable patients, the ORR was 4% by RECIST and 11% by irRECIST. Median PFS and OS were 2.7 and 12.0 months, respectively. No new safety signals were observed. CONCLUSIONS: ctDNA represents a promising biomarker for monitoring response to treatment in patients with advanced STS, warranting future prospective studies. Combining cryotherapy and immune checkpoint inhibitors did not increase the response rate of STS to immunotherapy.

Aorto-iliac/right leg arterial thrombosis necessitating limb amputation, pulmonary arterial, intracardiac, and ilio-caval venous thrombosis in a 40-year-old with COVID-19.

We describe a 40-year-old man with severe COVID-19 requiring mechanical ventilation who developed aorto-bi-iliac arterial, right lower extremity arterial, intracardiac, pulmonary arterial and ilio-caval venous thromboses and required right lower extremity amputation for acute limb ischemia. This unique case illustrates COVID-19-associated thrombotic complications occurring at multiple, different sites in the cardiovascular system of a single infected patient.

Variability of quantitative measurements of metastatic liver lesions: a multi-radiation-dose-level and multi-reader comparison.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the variability of quantitative measurements of metastatic liver lesions by using a multi-radiation-dose-level and multi-reader comparison. METHODS: Twenty-three study subjects (mean age, 60 years) with 39 liver lesions who underwent a single-energy dual-source contrast-enhanced staging CT between June 2015 and December 2015 were included. CT data were reconstructed with seven different radiation dose levels (ranging from 25 to 100%) on the basis of a single CT acquisition. Four radiologists independently performed manual tumor measurements and two radiologists performed semi-automated tumor measurements. Interobserver, intraobserver, and interdose sources of variability for longest diameter and volumetric measurements were estimated and compared using Wilcoxon rank-sum tests and intraclass correlation coefficients. RESULTS: Inter- and intraobserver variabilities for manual measurements of the longest diameter were higher compared to semi-automated measurements (p < 0.001 for overall). Inter- and intraobserver variabilities of volume measurements were higher compared to the longest diameter measurement (p < 0.001 for overall). Quantitative measurements were statistically different at < 50% radiation dose levels for semi-automated measurements of the longest diameter, and at 25% radiation dose level for volumetric measurements. The variability related to radiation dose was not significantly different from the inter- and intraobserver variability for the measurements of the longest diameter. CONCLUSION: The variability related to radiation dose is comparable to the inter- and intraobserver variability for measurements of the longest diameter. Caution should be warranted in reducing radiation dose level below 50% of a conventional CT protocol due to the potentially detrimental impact on the assessment of lesion response in the liver.

Nivolumab plus ipilimumab for soft tissue sarcoma: a single institution retrospective review.

Aim: To analyze the efficacy of checkpoint inhibitors in soft tissue sarcoma. Materials & methods: We retrospectively reviewed patients with advanced soft tissue sarcoma treated with ipilimumab and nivolumab. All patients who received at least one cycle were included. Results: One patient had a complete response and five had a partial response, for an objective response rate of 15%. Clinical benefit rate was 34% with a median duration of 12.0 months (range: 4.5 to 28.9+ months [mo]). Median overall survival was 12.0 months (95% CI: 4.5-23.7+ mo). Median progression-free survival was 2.7 months (95% CI: 2.3-4.5+ mo) by Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors 1.1 and 2.9 months (2.5-6.0+ mo) by immune-related Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors. Adverse events of any grade were seen in 58% of patients, the most common being fatigue (21%) and cough (10%), 5% of patients experienced a grade 3 adverse event (AE) (hyperglycemia) or grade 4 AE (myocarditis). Conclusion: Ipilimumab/nivolumab combination showed efficacy and was well tolerated in advanced soft tissue sarcoma.

Accuracy of a novel stress echocardiography pattern for myocardial bridging in patients with angina and no obstructive coronary artery disease - A retrospective and prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Myocardial bridge (MB) may cause angina in patients with no obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD). We previously reported a novel stress echocardiography (SE) pattern of focal septal buckling with apical sparing in the end-systolic to early-diastolic phase that is associated with the presence of an MB. We evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of this pattern, and prospectively validated our results. METHODS: The retrospective cohort included 158 patients with angina who underwent both SE and coronary CT angiography (CCTA). The validation cohort included 37 patients who underwent CCTA in the emergency department for angina, and prospectively underwent SE. CCTA was used as a reference standard for the presence/absence of an MB, and also confirmed no obstructive CAD. RESULTS: In the retrospective cohort, an MB was present in 107 (67.7%). The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) were 91.6%, 70.6%, 86.7% and 80%, respectively. On logistic regression, focal septal buckling and Duke treadmill score were associated with an MB. In the validation cohort, an MB was present in 31 (84%). The sensitivity, specificity PPV and NPV were 90.3%, 83.3%, 96.5% and 62.5%, respectively. On logistic regression, focal septal buckling was associated with an MB. CONCLUSION: Presence of focal septal buckling with apical sparing on SE is an accurate predictor of an MB in patients with angina and no obstructive CAD. This pattern can reliably be used to screen patients who may benefit from advanced non-invasive/invasive testing for an MB as a cause of their angina.

Coronary artery calcification score in migraine patients.

Epidemiological studies have shown an increased risk of cardiovascular events in migraineurs. The pathophysiological mechanisms of this observation remain largely unknown. Recent genetic and epidemiologic studies suggest, that atherosclerosis might be the overlapping pathophysiological mechanism in migraine and coronary heart disease. The aim of the present study was to evaluate if the increased cardiovascular risk in migraineurs is attributed to an increased coronary artery calcification. For this the coronary artery calcium score was assessed by computed tomography of the heart in 1.437 patients of which 337 were migraineurs. All patients had a similar cardiovascular risk profile, so that the risk for coronary calcifications could be considered similar between migraineurs and non-migraineurs. The results showed no significant differences in the amount of coronary calcifications in patients with or without migraine. This suggests that a more pronounced coronary artery calcification, as a surrogate marker of coronary atherosclerosis, does not underlie the increased cardiovascular risk in migraineurs. A distinct common pathophysiological mechanism in migraine and coronary heart disease such as endothelial dysfunction or vasospasm should be discussed instead. However, it has to be considered, that the coronary artery calcification score does not indicate the total risk of atherosclerotic changes in the coronary arteries.

Contrast Administration in CT: A Patient-Centric Approach.

Patient-centric care has garnered the attention of the radiology community. The authors describe a patient-centric approach to iodinated contrast administration designed to optimize the diagnostic yield of contrast-enhanced CT while minimizing patient iodine load and exposure to ionizing radiation, thereby enhancing patient safety while providing reasonable diagnostic efficacy. Patient-centric CT hardware settings and contrast media administration are important considerations for clinical CT quality and safety.

Myocardial Bridges on Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography　- Correlation With Intravascular Ultrasound and Fractional Flow Reserve.

BACKGROUND: Myocardial bridges (MB) are commonly seen on coronary CT angiography (CCTA) in asymptomatic individuals, but in patients with recurrent typical angina symptoms, yet no obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD), evaluation of their potential hemodynamic significance is clinically relevant. The aim of this study was to compare CCTA to invasive coronary angiography (ICA), including intravascular ultrasound (IVUS), to confirm MB morphology and estimate their functional significance in symptomatic patients.Methods and Results:We retrospectively identified 59 patients from our clinical databases between 2009 and 2014 in whom the suspicion for MB was raised by symptoms of recurrent typical angina in the absence of significant obstructive CAD on ICA. All patients underwent CCTA, ICA and IVUS. MB length and depth by CCTA agreed well with length (0.6±23.7 mm) and depth (CT coverage) as seen on IVUS. The product of CT length and depth (CT coverage), (MB muscle index (MMI)), ≥31 predicted an abnormal diastolic fractional flow reserve (dFFR) ≤0.76 with a sensitivity and specificity of 74% and 62% respectively (area under the curve=0.722). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with recurrent symptoms of typical angina yet no obstructive CAD, clinicians should consider dynamic ischemia from an MB in the differential diagnosis. The product of length and depth (i.e., MMI) by CCTA may provide some non-invasive insight into the hemodynamic significance of a myocardial bridge, as compared with invasive assessment with dFFR.

Comparative assessment of image quality for coronary CT angiography with iobitridol and two contrast agents with higher iodine concentrations: iopromide and iomeprol. A multicentre randomized double-blind trial.

OBJECTIVES: To demonstrate non-inferiority of iobitridol 350 for coronary CT angiography (CTA) compared to higher iodine content contrast media regarding rate of patients evaluable for the presence of coronary artery stenoses. METHODS: In this multicentre trial, 452 patients were randomized to receive iobitridol 350, iopromide 370 or iomeprol 400 and underwent coronary CTA using CT systems with 64-detector rows or more. Two core lab readers assessed 18 coronary segments per patient regarding image quality (score 0 = non diagnostic to 4 = excellent quality), vascular attenuation, signal and contrast to noise ratio (SNR, CNR). Patients were considered evaluable if no segment had a score of 0. RESULTS: Per-patient, the rate of fully evaluable CT scans was 92.1, 95.4 and 94.6 % for iobitridol, iopromide and iomeprol, respectively. Non-inferiority of iobitridol over the best comparator was demonstrated with a 95 % CI of the difference of [-8.8 to 2.1], with a pre-specified non-inferiority margin of -10 %. Although average attenuation increased with higher iodine concentrations, average SNR and CNR did not differ between groups. CONCLUSIONS: With current CT technology, iobitridol 350 mg iodine/ml is not inferior to contrast media with higher iodine concentrations in terms of image quality for coronary stenosis assessment. KEY POINTS: • Iodine concentration is an important parameter for image quality in coronary CTA. • Contrast enhancement must be balanced against the amount of iodine injected. • Iobitridol 350 is non-inferior compared to CM with higher iodine concentrations. • Higher attenuation with higher iodine concentrations, but no SNR or CNR differences.

Myocardial ischemia detection with single-phase CT perfusion in symptomatic patients using high-pitch helical image acquisition technique.

Coronary CT angiography (CCTA) suffers from a reduced diagnostic accuracy in patients with heavily calcified coronary arteries or prior myocardial revascularisation due to artefacts caused by calcifications and stent material. CT myocardial perfusion imaging (CTMPI) yields high potential for the detection of myocardial ischemia and might help to overcome the above mentioned limitations. We analysed CT single-phase perfusion using high-pitch helical image acquisition technique in patients with prior myocardial revascularisation. Thirty-six patients with an indication for invasive coronary angiography (28 with coronary stents, 2 with coronary artery bypass grafts and 6 with both) were included in this prospective study at two study sites. All patients were examined on a 2nd generation dual-source CT system. Stress CT images were obtained using a prospectively ECG-triggered single-phase high-pitch helical image acquisition technique. During stress the tracer for myocardial perfusion (MP) SPECT imaging was administered. Rest CT images were acquired using prospectively ECG-triggered sequential CT. MP-SPECT imaging and invasive coronary angiography served as standard of reference. In this heavily diseased patient cohort CCTA alone showed a low overall diagnostic accuracy for detection of hemodynamically relevant coronary artery stenosis of only 31% on a per-patient base and 60% on a per-vessel base. Combining CCTA and CTMPI allowed for a significantly higher overall diagnostic accuracy of 78% on a per-patient base and 92% on a per-vessel base (p < 0.001). Mean radiation dose for stress CT scans was 0.9 mSv, mean radiation dose for rest CT scans was 5.0 mSv. In symptomatic patients with known coronary artery disease and prior myocardial revascularization combining CCTA and CTMPI showed significantly higher diagnostic accuracy in detection of hemodynamically significant coronary artery stenosis when compared to CCTA alone.

Dynamic myocardial CT perfusion imaging for evaluation of myocardial ischemia as determined by MR imaging.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine the feasibility of computed tomography (CT)-based dynamic myocardial perfusion imaging for the assessment of myocardial ischemia and infarction compared with cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR). BACKGROUND: Sequential myocardial CT perfusion imaging has emerged as a novel imaging technique for the assessment of myocardial hypoperfusion. METHODS: We prospectively enrolled subjects with known coronary artery disease who underwent adenosine-mediated stress dynamic dual-source CT (100 kV, 320 mAs/rot) and CMR (3-T). Estimated myocardial blood flow (eMBF) and estimated myocardial blood volume (eMBV) were derived from CT images, using a model-based parametric deconvolution technique. The values were independently related to perfusion defects (ischemic and/or infarcted myocardial segments) as visually assessed during rest/stress and late gadolinium enhancement CMR. Conventional measures of diagnostic accuracy and differences in eMBF/eMBV were determined. RESULTS: Of 38 enrolled subjects, 31 (mean age 70.4 ± 9.3 years; 77% men) completed both CT and CMR protocols. The prevalence of ischemic and infarcted myocardial segments detected by CMR was moderate (11.6%, n = 56 and 12.6%, n = 61, respectively, of 484 analyzed segments, with 8.4% being transmural). The diagnostic accuracy of CT for the detection of any perfusion defect was good (eMBF threshold, 88 ml/mg/min; sensitivity, 77.8% [95% confidence interval (CI): 69% to 85%]; negative predictive value, 91.3% [95% CI: 86% to 94%]) with moderate positive predictive value (50.6% [95% CI: 43% to 58%] and specificity (75.41% [95% CI: 70% to 79%]). Higher diagnostic accuracy was observed for transmural perfusion defects (sensitivity 87.8%; 95% CI: 74% to 96%) and infarcted segments (sensitivity 85.3%; 95% CI: 74% to 93%). Although eMBF in high-quality examinations was lower but not different between ischemic and infarcted segments (72.3 ± 18.7 ml/100 ml/min vs. 73.1 ± 31.9 ml/100 ml/min, respectively, p > 0.05), eMBV was significantly lower in infarcted segments compared with ischemic segments (11.3 ± 3.3 ml/100 ml vs. 18.4 ± 2.8 ml/100 ml, respectively; p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Compared with CMR, dynamic stress CT provides good diagnostic accuracy for the detection of myocardial perfusion defects and may differentiate ischemic and infarcted myocardium.

Comparison of patient comfort between iodixanol and iopamidol in contrast-enhanced computed tomography of the abdomen and pelvis: a randomized trial.

BACKGROUND: Previous clinical studies have shown that iso-osmolar iodixanol (Visipaque®) causes less patient discomfort than low-osmolar contrast media (LOCM) when administered via intra-arterial injection. No data are available comparing these agents for patient discomfort when administered intravenously (i.v.) using power injectors. PURPOSE: To compare the frequency and intensity of patient discomfort between iodixanol and iopamidol (Isovue®) administered i.v. using a power injector in contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) of the abdomen and pelvis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This was a prospective, randomized, double-blind, multicenter study of iodixanol 320 mg I/mL or iopamidol 370 mg I/mL on patient discomfort. The presence of discomfort (heat, pain, coldness) and intensity was verbally rated by patients on a 0-10 scale and converted into four categories (0, none; 1-3, mild; 4-7, moderate; 8-10, severe). Image quality was evaluated. RESULTS: Of the 299 evaluable patients enrolled at nine centers, 151 received iodixanol and 148 received iopamidol. The average age was 58 years. Iodixanol patients experienced significantly less moderate/severe discomfort (35.1% vs. 67.3%; P < 0.0001) or heat (29.8% vs. 63.9%; P < 0.0001), and severe discomfort (2.6% vs. 16.3%; P = 0.0004) or heat (2.6% vs. 15%; P = 0.0008), but three times more no discomfort (21.2% vs. 7.5%; P = 0.0008) than iopamidol patients. Excellent image quality was in 95.4% of iodixanol vs. 89.9% of iopamidol patients (P = 0.0508). Overall, adverse event (AE) rate excluding patient discomfort was 19.9% in the iodixanol group and 14.9% in the iopamidol group (P = 0.2870), but contrast-related AEs were comparable: 11.3% vs. 10.1% (P = 0.8522). Delayed skin reactions occurred in 2.6% of patients in the iodixanol group and in no patient in the iopamidol group (P = 0.1226). CONCLUSION: Patients receiving iodixanol had significantly lower moderate-to-severe or severe discomfort than patients receiving iopamidol, with heat being the major contributor. Iodixanol use trended towards better image quality but the difference was not statistically significant. No significant differences in incidences of overall or contrast-related AEs or delayed skin reactions were seen between the two groups. These data support that CM osmolality may be a key determinant of patient discomfort.

High-pitch coronary CT angiography in dual-source CT during free breathing vs. breath holding in patients with low heart rates.

BACKGROUND: Coronary CT angiography (CCTA) is usually performed during breath holding to reduce motion artifacts caused by respiration. However, some patients are not able to follow the breathing commands adequately due to deafness, hearing impairment, agitation or pulmonary diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of high-pitch CCTA in free breathing patients when compared to breath holding patients. METHODS: In this study we evaluated 40 patients (20 free breathing and 20 breath holding patients) with a heart rate of 60 bpm or below referred for CCTA who were examined on a 2nd generation dual-source CT system. Image quality of each coronary artery segment was rated using a 4-point grading scale (1: non diagnostic-4: excellent). RESULTS: Mean heart rate during image acquisition was 52 ± 5 bpm in both groups. There was no significant difference in mean image quality, slightly favoring image acquisition during breath holding (mean image quality score 3.76 ± 0.32 in breath holding patients vs. 3.61 ± 0.45 in free breathing patients; p = 0.411). Due to a smaller amount of injected contrast medium, there was a trend for signal intensity to be slightly lower in free breathing patients, but this was not statistically significant (435 ± 123 HU vs. 473 ± 117 HU; p=0.648). CONCLUSION: In patients with a low heart rate who are not able to hold their breath adequately, CCTA can also be acquired during free breathing without substantial loss of image quality when using a high pitch scan mode in 2nd generation dual-source CT.

Novel single-source high-pitch protocol for CT angiography of the aorta: comparison to high-pitch dual-source protocol in the context of TAVI planning.

Purpose Computed tomography (CT) is increasingly being used for planning purposes prior to trans-arterial valve implantation (TAVI). High-pitch protocols using a 2nd generation dual-source CT (DSCT) allow for a comprehensive assessment of the aortic valve anulus, its distance to the coronary artery ostia, the aortic bulbus and the iliofemoral arteries with very low radiation exposure and low amount of contrast agent. The aim of this study was to evaluate the image quality of a comparable high-pitch scan mode in a modern single-source CT (SSCT) system. Methods 40 patients with severe symptomatic aortic valve stenosis have been examined for planning purposes prior to TAVI. The first 20 consecutive patients were examined with a 2nd generation DSCT system using a high-pitch scan mode (pitch value 3.4) and 60 ml of contrast agent. The second group of 20 consecutive patients were examined with a 128-slice SSCT system, using a high-pitch scan mode (pitch value of 1.7) and 60 ml of contrast agent. Image quality of the aortic valve, the ascending aorta, the coronary artery ostia, the iliofemoral arteries and overall image quality were graded in a blinded fashion using a 4-point-grading-scale. Furthermore, signal intensity and image noise were derived in the ascending aorta and in the ilio-femoral arteries. Results There was a minor but significant difference in the overall image quality score with lower image quality in SSCT (3.5 ± 0.6) when compared to DSCT (3.85 ± 0.4; p = 0.037). The mean image quality score was significantly higher in patients examined in DSCT when compared to SSCT regarding the evaluability of the coronary ostia (4.0 vs. 3.5; p < 0.01) and the image quality of the ascending aorta (4.0 vs. 3.5; p < 0.01). There was no significant difference in evaluation of the aortic valve and its anulus (3.85 for DSCT and 3.65 for SSCT; p = 0.149) and image quality of the iliofemoral arteries (3.65 for DSCT and 3.85 for SSCT; p = 0.140). Signal intensity and image noise did not differ significantly between both groups. Conclusions This study presents a novel high-pitch protocol for modern SSCT scanners, which allows CT angiography for TAVI planning with a similar radiation dose and contrast agent exposition and only small compromises in image quality compared to a high-pitch protocol on a DSCT scanner.

Optimal timing for first-pass stress CT myocardial perfusion imaging.

CT-based myocardial perfusion imaging (CTP) has been shown to accurately detect myocardial perfusion defects when compared to SPECT. When performing single-phase first-pass stress CTP, timing is of major importance. The aim of this study was to provide guidance for optimal timing of single-phase first-pass stress CTP acquisitions. 16 patients (12 male, age, 69 ± 8 years) with known or suspected coronary artery disease underwent invasive coronary angiography with fractional flow reserve (FFR) measurements using a pressure wire as well as a time-resolved CTP protocol under adenosine stress, performed on a dual-Source CT scanner over a period of 30 s. From the CTP data, time-attenuation curves have been determined both in known ischemic myocardium with a corresponding coronary artery stenosis as proven by a FFR below 0.75 in invasive coronary angiography, as well as in non-ischemic reference myocardium during pharmacological stress. Furthermore, contrast enhancement in the ascending aorta was determined. The time point for an optimal contrast (i.e., difference in Hounsfield Units, HU) between ischemic and normal myocardium was determined. Under pharmacological stress using adenosine, a maximum mean HU difference between ischemic and non-ischemic myocardium (17.7-22.5 HU) was observed 24-32 s after injection of contrast medium. The maximal attenuation difference between normal and ischemic myocardium ranged from 15 to 77 HU in the analyzed patient cohort. When applying a bolus-tracking technique with an automatic contrast detection in the proximal ascending aorta, the optimal time frame for stress CTP was between 8 and 16 s after contrast enhancement in the aorta exceeds 100 HU, or between 7 and 15 s using a threshold of 150 HU. For first-pass CT myocardial perfusion imaging there is a time frame of approximately 8 s for optimal differentiation of ischemic and non-ischemic myocardium, which will be helpful to optimize single-phase CTP scans.

Radiation exposure and image quality of normal computed tomography brain images acquired with automated and organ-based tube current modulation multiband filtering and iterative reconstruction.

OBJECTIVES: We sought to determine whether radiation dose can be reduced and image quality improved in computed tomography (CT) images of the brain that were acquired with automated exposure control (AEC), organ-based tube current modulation (TCM), multiband filtration (MBF), and iterative reconstruction in image space (IRIS). METHODS: An Alderson-Rando-phantom, equipped with thermoluminescent dosimeters, was used to determine the radiation exposure of organs within the head and neck by different CT brain scan modes. We measured the noise and signal-to-noise ratios and subjectively graded quality criteria in different territories of the brain in spiral CT images of 150 patients. We also derived the radiation exposure from the patient protocols. RESULTS: In the phantom, AEC and TCM reduced the radiation exposure of the lenses, cerebrum, cerebellum, and thyroid gland by 41.9%, 34.5%, 30.5%, and 34.9%, respectively. Brain CT scans from patients investigated with AEC, TCM, MBF, and IRIS were found to have significantly better image quality than with conventional filtered back projection. In addition, the CT dose index and dose-length product were significantly lower with AEC, TCM, MBF, and IRIS by 24.1% and 20.2%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The combination of AEC, TCM, MBF, and IRIS improves image quality while radiation exposure can be reduced, particularly in dose-sensitive organs, such as the lenses and thyroid gland.

Hyperdense basilar artery sign-a reliable sign of basilar artery occlusion.

INTRODUCTION: We aimed to investigate the value of the hyperdense basilar artery (HBA) sign and of basilar artery (BA) attenuation measurements as predictors of basilar artery occlusion (BAO) on nonenhanced cranial CT (NECT). METHODS: Forty-one consecutive patients with proven BAO in CT angiography, who had undergone NECT for initial evaluation (30 males, 11 females) were retrospectively included. Another 41 age-matched patients without BAO were included as a control group. The NECT scans of both groups were assessed by three independent blinded readers (staff, fellow, and resident) in a randomized reading order using a standardized semiquantitative questionnaire. Visual BA hyperdensity, including the presence of HBA sign (hyperdensity scores of 4 and 5/5), was assessed, quantitative BA attenuation was measured in a region of interest (ROI), and diagnosis of BAO was made before and after ROI measurements. For statistical analysis, multivariate mixed effects models, likelihood ratio tests, and receiver operating characteristics techniques were applied. RESULTS: HBA sign had a relatively low sensitivity (60.98-65.85%), specificity (70.73-90.24%), and accuracy (65.85-75.61%) for the presence/absence of BAO on NECT. Optimal cut-off points were 40-42 HU (sensitivity, 68.29-78.05%; specificity, 75.61-82.93%; accuracy, 74.39-80.49%). CONCLUSION: In basilar artery occlusion, quantitative measurement of BA attenuation can slightly improve the diagnostic predictiveness of NECT. However, even with optimal cut-off values, the sensitivity is too low to serve as the sole diagnostic decision-making tool.