Proof of concept study: Phenotyping of cardiac plaques by means of Radiomics

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2023-10-23

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Saudi Digital Library

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Objectives: To assess the statistical reliability of radiomic features across two different platforms, Pyradiomics and LIFEx, and to evaluate the effectiveness of the Virtual Monoenergetic Imaging (VMI) protocol for visualizing vessels and plaques in cardiac imaging. Methods: The statistical reliability of radiomic features was assessed in 11 Regions of Interest (ROIs) within the Catphan 700 phantom. These features were calculated using two IBSI-compliant platforms (Pyradiomics and LIFEx). The effectiveness of the Virtual Monoenergetic Imaging (VMI) protocol in visualizing vessels and plaques within cardiac imaging was evaluated using a CTDI phantom, which contained three different tubes and a plaque. The impact of user-defined calculation settings and the effectiveness of VMI were assessed by calculating the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and confidence intervals. Results: The reliability of radiomic features calculated by the two software platforms was excellent (ICC CI > 0.9) for only 8 out of the 17 features when comparing the two platforms but significantly improved to (ICC CI > 0.9) for 12 out of the 17 features when harmonized settings were applied. Failure to use harmonized settings resulted in lower reliability for most features. When assessing feature classes, the reliability improved to some extent. In the second part of the experiment, the ICC values varied among different vessels and a plaque, highlighting the influence of VMI on the reliability of radiomics features. Conclusion: The significant impact of user-defined calculation settings on IBSI compliant platforms emphasizes the need for clear reporting of these parameters to enhance reproducibility and comparability. Collaborative initiatives within the radiomics community are essential to establish standardized and harmonized calculation settings, potentially leading to more robust and reliable radiomic analyses in medical imaging.

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Radiomics, Plaque, Monochromatic, CAD, LIFEx, Pyradiomics

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