Comparison of femoral neck BMD evaluation obtained using Lunar DXA and QCT with asynchronous calibration from CT colonography

Abstract

For patients undergoing screening computed tomography colonography (CTC), an opportunity exists for bone mineral density (BMD) screening without additional radiation exposure using quantitative computed tomography (QCT). This study investigated the use of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA)-equivalent QCT Computed Tomography X-Ray Absorptiometry (CTXA) analysis at the hip obtained using CTC examinations using a retrospective asynchronous calibration of patient scans. A cohort of 33 women, age 61.3 (10.6) yr (mean [standard deviation]), had routine CTC using various GE LightSpeed CT scanner models followed after 0-9 mo by a DXA hip BMD examination using a GE Lunar Prodigy machine. Areal bone mineral density (aBMD) and T-scores of the proximal femur were measured from either prone or supine CTC examinations using Mindways QCT Pro software following standard workflow except that the CT scanners were asynchronously calibrated by phantoms scanned retrospectively of the CTC examination without the subject present. CTXA and DXA aBMD were highly correlated (R2=0.907) with a linear relationship of DXA_BMD=1.297*CTXA_BMD+0.048. The standard error of estimate (SEE) on the linear fit was 0.053 g/cm2. CTXA and DXA T-scores showed a linear relationship of DXA_T-score=1.034*CTXA_T-score+0.3 and an SEE of 0.379 T-scores. CTXA and DXA aBMD and T-score measurements showed good correlation despite asynchronous scan acquisition and retrospective QCT calibration. The SEE of 0.053 g/cm2 is on par with the literature comparing Hologic and Lunar DXA devices. The observed relationship between CTXA and Lunar DXA aBMD matches predictions from published cross-calibrations relating CTXA to DXA aBMD measurement. Thus, opportunistic use of CTXA T-scores obtained at the time of CTC could enhance osteoporosis screening.

Keywords: Bone densitometry; QCT; colonography; quantitative; radiology.