Calculation of calcification volume and its effect on narrowing of cardiac blood vessels extracted from computed tomography angiography (CTA) images based on computer-aided diagnosis (CAD)

Use of Computer-Aided Diagnosis (CAD) on contrast and non-contrast Computed Tomography Angiography (CTA) cardiac images, to determine the location and calculate the volume of calcifications and study their effects on cardiac vascular constriction. Thresholding segmentation for plaque and arterial extraction, Segments Statistics for volume calculation, Extract Centerline and Centerline Metrics for calculating radius and length from 20 contrast and non-contrast CTA cardiac image datasets patients using Volume Viewer software from GE Healthcare and 3D-Slicer with Vascular Modelling Toolkit (VMTK) module. Number of arterial branches detected by calcification in Left Main (LM), Left Anterior Descending (LAD), Left Circumflex (LCX), and Right Coronary Artery (RCA), were 2, 19, 4, and 7 respectively. The largest volume of calcification detected in LM, LAD, LCX and RCA were 34.1 mm3, 22.9 mm3, 31.9 mm3, and 283.3 mm3, respectively. The maximum percentage of LM, LAD, LCX, and RCA artery closure was 76.5%; 83.8%; 67.4% and 90.5%, and the minimum value is 9.8%; 4.2%; 7.5% and 8.1%. Based on the Spearman statistical test, a strong correlation was obtained between the Agatston score and the largest calcification volume with an R-value of 0.774. Therefore, information on calcification volume and percentage of arterial occlusion should be used as a companion to the Agatston score, which has been used as the main parameter in the diagnosis of calcification.