Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30903605›Full record

ArticleLa Radiologia medica2019

Carotid artery plaque characterization with a wide-detector computed tomography using a dedicated post-processing 3D analysis: comparison with histology.

Marco Varrassi, Roberta Sferra, Giovanni Luca Gravina, Simona Pompili, Roberta Costanza Fidanza, Marco Ventura, Alessandra Splendiani, Antonio Barile, Antonella Vetuschi, Ernesto Di Cesare

Abstract readComparative Study
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in La Radiologia medica, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
0.5field-weighted citation impact, top 31% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 7 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Marco VarrassiDepartment of Radiology, S. Salvatore Hospital, Via L. Natali, 1, 67100, L'Aquila, Italy. mvarrassi27@yahoo.it.
Roberta SferraDepartment of Applied Clinical Sciences and Biotechnology, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy.
Giovanni Luca GravinaDepartment of Applied Clinical Sciences and Biotechnology, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy.
Simona PompiliDepartment of Applied Clinical Sciences and Biotechnology, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy.
Roberta Costanza FidanzaDepartment of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, S. Salvatore Hospital, L'Aquila, Italy.
Marco VenturaDepartment of Applied Clinical Sciences and Biotechnology, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy.
Alessandra SplendianiDepartment of Applied Clinical Sciences and Biotechnology, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy.
Antonio BarileDepartment of Applied Clinical Sciences and Biotechnology, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy.
Antonella VetuschiDepartment of Applied Clinical Sciences and Biotechnology, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy.
Ernesto Di CesareDepartment of Applied Clinical Sciences and Biotechnology, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy.
University of L'Aquila · ITSan Salvatore Hospital · IT

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeThe characterization of atherosclerotic carotid plaque plays a key role in the identification of patients at risk. The aim of our work was to evaluate the potentialities of carotid computed tomography angiography (CCTA) in assessing composition of atherosclerotic plaque. MATERIALS AND

methodsWe retrospectively evaluated 29 patients (7 women and 22 men, age range 54-81; mean age 69) who underwent carotid endarterectomy. All patients underwent pre-surgical CCTA using a 320-slice scanner. Post-processing reconstructions and analysis were performed using a specific software. Percentage of three different components of the atherosclerotic plaque (adipose, fibrotic and calcific) were classified based on Hounsfield unit values. Post-processing results were compared with histological analysis. Vessel and plaque parameters were compared using the Pearson correlation coefficient (r). Bland-Altman plots with 95% confidence intervals were calculated for correlation. McNemar's test was used for comparison of dichotomous variables.

resultsA significant correlation between histology and CCTA was found with respect to the areas corresponding to adipose, fibrotic and calcified plaques. The existence of proportional bias was observed between the two quantifying methods with lower discrepancies found for the adipose and fibrotic plaque areas. The Bland-Altman analyses showed a mean bias of 3.2%, 2.5% and 0.6% between histology and CCTA, for adipose, fibrotic and calcified plaque areas, respectively.

conclusionsMulti-detector CT angiography represents a valuable technique to assess quantitatively the composition of atherosclerotic plaques, with particular reference to the prevalence of fibrotic tissue, and is a useful diagnostic tool to improve risk stratification of patients for cerebral stroke.

Indexed as

Imaging, Three-DimensionalAgedAged, 80 and overCarotid StenosisFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesTomography, X-Ray ComputedCarotid arteriesComputed tomographyEmbolic strokePlaque characterization

Identifiers

PMID30903605
OpenAlexW2924828354

What Socratic holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.