Does photon-counting CT enable reliable, layer-by-layer quantitative characterization of carotid perivascular adipose tissue in asymptomatic patients?
Photon-counting CT can characterize carotid perivascular adipose tissue layer-by-layer, potentially serving as a noninvasive marker of vascular inflammation for risk stratification in asymptomatic individuals.
Question Can photon-counting CT enable a reliable, layer-by-layer quantitative characterization of carotid perivascular adipose tissue in asymptomatic patients beyond luminal stenosis assessment? Findings Photon-counting CT demonstrated a progressive decrease in PVAT attenuation with increasing distance from the carotid wall and marked inter-individual variability across concentric layers. Clinical relevance Layer-specific PVAT profiling with photon-counting CT may provide a noninvasive imaging marker of local vascular inflammation, supporting improved carotid risk stratification beyond stenosis severity, even in asymptomatic individuals.
Saba et al. (Tue,) studied this question.