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. 2025 Jun 17;14(12):e041628.
doi: 10.1161/JAHA.125.041628. Epub 2025 Jun 16.

New Imaging Modality in Craniocervical Artery Dissections: Photon Counting Computed Tomography Angiography

Zafer Keser  1 , Helena K Xeros  1 , Grace E Thompson  2 , Ahmed O El Sadaney  2 , John C Benson  2 , Ajay A Madhavan  2 , Giuseppe Lanzino  3 , Felix E Diehn  2
Affiliations

New Imaging Modality in Craniocervical Artery Dissections: Photon Counting Computed Tomography Angiography

Zafer Keser et al. J Am Heart Assoc. .
No abstract available

Keywords: CT angiogram; artery; carotid; cerebrovascular disease/stroke dissection; photon CT; vertebral.

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Conflict of interest statement

None.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Examples of PCD‐CTA in comparison to conventional EID‐CTA as well as Beeswarm plots of radiation dose.
EID‐CTA (A, B, H) and 3‐month follow‐up PCD‐CTA (C–G) in a 31‐year‐old woman with a right cervical ICA dissection. Images are in the axial (A, C, E) and oblique sagittal (B, D, F) planes, with 0.6‐mm slice thickness on EID (A, B), and 0.8‐ and 0.2‐mm slice thickness on PCD (C, D and E, F, respectively). The EID‐CTA examination demonstrates a dissection flap in the distal right cervical ICA (arrow in A), with a pseudoaneurysm of the false lumen (arrow in B). On PCD‐CTA, the dissection flap is seen to better advantage, both on 0.8‐ and 0.2‐mm images (arrows in C and E, respectively). The pseudoaneurysm (arrows in D and F) is also better visualized on PCD‐CTA than EID‐CTA, with a slight decrease in its size. Narrowing of the ICA is better seen on PCD‐CTA than EID‐CTA (dotted arrows in D, F vs B, respectively), and the degree of stenosis decreased over the interval. The radiation dose of the higher‐quality PCD‐CTA scan was less than that of the EID scan: volume CT dose index (in mGy) of 16.9 for PCD and 20.12 for EID (16% dose reduction). Beeswarm plots of radiation dose by group are shown as well (I). CTA indicates computed tomography angiography; CTDI, computed tomography dose index; EID, energy‐integrating detector; ICA, internal carotid artery; and PCD, photon‐counting detector.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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