Repeatability of quantitative pericoronary adipose tissue attenuation and coronary plaque burden from coronary CT angiography

Background: High pericoronary adipose tissue (PCAT) attenuation and non-calcified plaque burden (NCP) measured from coronary CT angiography (CTA) have been implicated in future cardiac events. We aimed to evaluate the interobserver and intraobserver repeatability of PCAT attenuation and NCP burden measurement from CTA, in a sub-study of the prospective SCOT-HEART trial. Methods: Fifty consecutive CTAs from participants of the CT arm of the prospective SCOT-HEART trial were included. Two experienced observers independently measured PCAT attenuation and plaque characteristics throughout the whole coronary tree from CTA using semi-automatic quantitative software. Results: We analyzed proximal segments in 157 vessels. Intraobserver mean differences in PCAT attenuation and NCP plaque burden were -0.05HU and 0.92% with limits of agreement (LOA) of +/- 1.54 and +/- 5.97%. Intraobserver intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) for PCAT attenuation and NCP burden were excellent (0.999 and 0.978). Interobserver mean differences in PCAT attenuation and NCP plaque burden were 0.13HU [LOA +/- 1.67HU] and -0.23% (LOA +/- 9.61%). Interobserver ICC values for PCAT attenuation and NCP burden were excellent (0.998 and 0.944). Conclusion: PCAT attenuation and NCP burden on CTA has high intraobserver and interobserver repeatability, suggesting they represent a repeatable and robust method of quantifying cardiovascular risk.

Automated summary

The study aimed to evaluate the repeatability of pericoronary adipose tissue (PCAT) attenuation and non-calcified plaque burden (NCP) measurements from coronary CT angiography (CTA). Results demonstrate high intraobserver and interobserver repeatability for these measurements, suggesting they are a reliable method for quantifying cardiovascular risk.