The Impact of Radiation Dose on CT‐Based Body Composition Analysis: A Large‐Animal Study

ABSTRACT Background CT‐based body composition analysis (BCA) enables the extraction of biomarkers from routine CT data. The influence of body composition on the prognosis of different patient groups has been highlighted in recent years. Typically, the segmentation of muscle and fat compartments is p...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Luca Salhöfer, Gregor Jost, Mathias Meetschen, Daniel vanLandeghem, Michael Forsting, Denise Bos, Christian Bojahr, Rene Hosch, Felix Nensa, Hubertus Pietsch, Johannes Haubold
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2025-02-01
Series:Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/jcsm.13741
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850051212912623616
author Luca Salhöfer
Gregor Jost
Mathias Meetschen
Daniel vanLandeghem
Michael Forsting
Denise Bos
Christian Bojahr
Rene Hosch
Felix Nensa
Hubertus Pietsch
Johannes Haubold
author_facet Luca Salhöfer
Gregor Jost
Mathias Meetschen
Daniel vanLandeghem
Michael Forsting
Denise Bos
Christian Bojahr
Rene Hosch
Felix Nensa
Hubertus Pietsch
Johannes Haubold
author_sort Luca Salhöfer
collection DOAJ
description ABSTRACT Background CT‐based body composition analysis (BCA) enables the extraction of biomarkers from routine CT data. The influence of body composition on the prognosis of different patient groups has been highlighted in recent years. Typically, the segmentation of muscle and fat compartments is performed with a thresholding‐based subsegmentation, which might be influenced by the image noise as a function of radiation dose. This study was performed to investigate the impact of the radiation dose on a fully automated, volumetric CT‐based BCA. Methods In this animal study, 20 Göttingen minipigs were subjected to CT scans on six occasions under five different dose settings with gradations compared to the control given in % from volumetric CT dose index (CTDIvol) of the control (5%, 10%, 20%, 40%, control [10.01 mGy]). A database with full dose (FD) and quarter dose (QD) CT scans from The Cancer Imaging Archive served as a human validation cohort. A previously open‐source published and validated BCA network was applied to each scan. The following features were extracted as volumes (mL): bone, muscle, subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), intermuscular and intramuscular adipose tissue (IMAT), visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and total adipose tissue (TAT). Statistical significance was assessed by a one‐way ANOVA with Tukey's multiple comparisons or Kruskal–Wallis with Dunn's post‐hoc tests. The correlation between feature volumes in the dose gradations and the control group was analysed using the Spearman or Pearson method. Results All BCA features remained consistent up to the 10% group and showed no significant differences compared with the control. In the lowest dose group (5%), there were significant differences concerning the muscle (5% = 1295 mL [211 mL], control = 1338 mL [248 mL]; p = 0.032) and VAT volumetry (5% = 353 mL [208 mL], control = 312 mL [204 mL]; p = 0.026) with median differences of −3.13% (muscle) and 12.3% (VAT), respectively. Significant and strong positive correlations were observed between all low‐dose groups and the control (r > 0.977, p < 0.001). The human validation analysis yielded constant volumes for every BCA feature with a strong positive correlation (r > 0.933, p < 0.001). Conclusions Fully automated BCA maintains consistent results in various low‐dose settings. Significant deviations are only observed after more than 90% dose reduction in the lowest dose settings (5%), which are currently not used in the clinical routine. This large‐animal study demonstrates the consistency of fully automated BCA in different dose settings and may therefore facilitate its integration into the clinical routine.
format Article
id doaj-art-70bffe26b05a49d0a2fe401689b9fdbd
institution DOAJ
issn 2190-5991
2190-6009
language English
publishDate 2025-02-01
publisher Wiley
record_format Article
series Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle
spelling doaj-art-70bffe26b05a49d0a2fe401689b9fdbd2025-08-20T02:53:13ZengWileyJournal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle2190-59912190-60092025-02-01161n/an/a10.1002/jcsm.13741The Impact of Radiation Dose on CT‐Based Body Composition Analysis: A Large‐Animal StudyLuca Salhöfer0Gregor Jost1Mathias Meetschen2Daniel vanLandeghem3Michael Forsting4Denise Bos5Christian Bojahr6Rene Hosch7Felix Nensa8Hubertus Pietsch9Johannes Haubold10Institute of Interventional and Diagnostic Radiology and Neuroradiology University Hospital Essen Essen GermanyMR and CT Contrast Media Research Bayer AG Berlin GermanyInstitute of Interventional and Diagnostic Radiology and Neuroradiology University Hospital Essen Essen GermanyInstitute of Interventional and Diagnostic Radiology and Neuroradiology University Hospital Essen Essen GermanyInstitute of Interventional and Diagnostic Radiology and Neuroradiology University Hospital Essen Essen GermanyInstitute of Interventional and Diagnostic Radiology and Neuroradiology University Hospital Essen Essen GermanyInstitute for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine University Hospital Essen Essen GermanyInstitute of Interventional and Diagnostic Radiology and Neuroradiology University Hospital Essen Essen GermanyInstitute of Interventional and Diagnostic Radiology and Neuroradiology University Hospital Essen Essen GermanyMR and CT Contrast Media Research Bayer AG Berlin GermanyInstitute of Interventional and Diagnostic Radiology and Neuroradiology University Hospital Essen Essen GermanyABSTRACT Background CT‐based body composition analysis (BCA) enables the extraction of biomarkers from routine CT data. The influence of body composition on the prognosis of different patient groups has been highlighted in recent years. Typically, the segmentation of muscle and fat compartments is performed with a thresholding‐based subsegmentation, which might be influenced by the image noise as a function of radiation dose. This study was performed to investigate the impact of the radiation dose on a fully automated, volumetric CT‐based BCA. Methods In this animal study, 20 Göttingen minipigs were subjected to CT scans on six occasions under five different dose settings with gradations compared to the control given in % from volumetric CT dose index (CTDIvol) of the control (5%, 10%, 20%, 40%, control [10.01 mGy]). A database with full dose (FD) and quarter dose (QD) CT scans from The Cancer Imaging Archive served as a human validation cohort. A previously open‐source published and validated BCA network was applied to each scan. The following features were extracted as volumes (mL): bone, muscle, subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), intermuscular and intramuscular adipose tissue (IMAT), visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and total adipose tissue (TAT). Statistical significance was assessed by a one‐way ANOVA with Tukey's multiple comparisons or Kruskal–Wallis with Dunn's post‐hoc tests. The correlation between feature volumes in the dose gradations and the control group was analysed using the Spearman or Pearson method. Results All BCA features remained consistent up to the 10% group and showed no significant differences compared with the control. In the lowest dose group (5%), there were significant differences concerning the muscle (5% = 1295 mL [211 mL], control = 1338 mL [248 mL]; p = 0.032) and VAT volumetry (5% = 353 mL [208 mL], control = 312 mL [204 mL]; p = 0.026) with median differences of −3.13% (muscle) and 12.3% (VAT), respectively. Significant and strong positive correlations were observed between all low‐dose groups and the control (r > 0.977, p < 0.001). The human validation analysis yielded constant volumes for every BCA feature with a strong positive correlation (r > 0.933, p < 0.001). Conclusions Fully automated BCA maintains consistent results in various low‐dose settings. Significant deviations are only observed after more than 90% dose reduction in the lowest dose settings (5%), which are currently not used in the clinical routine. This large‐animal study demonstrates the consistency of fully automated BCA in different dose settings and may therefore facilitate its integration into the clinical routine.https://doi.org/10.1002/jcsm.13741animalsbody compositiondeep learningradiationtomography (X‐ray computed)
spellingShingle Luca Salhöfer
Gregor Jost
Mathias Meetschen
Daniel vanLandeghem
Michael Forsting
Denise Bos
Christian Bojahr
Rene Hosch
Felix Nensa
Hubertus Pietsch
Johannes Haubold
The Impact of Radiation Dose on CT‐Based Body Composition Analysis: A Large‐Animal Study
Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle
animals
body composition
deep learning
radiation
tomography (X‐ray computed)
title The Impact of Radiation Dose on CT‐Based Body Composition Analysis: A Large‐Animal Study
title_full The Impact of Radiation Dose on CT‐Based Body Composition Analysis: A Large‐Animal Study
title_fullStr The Impact of Radiation Dose on CT‐Based Body Composition Analysis: A Large‐Animal Study
title_full_unstemmed The Impact of Radiation Dose on CT‐Based Body Composition Analysis: A Large‐Animal Study
title_short The Impact of Radiation Dose on CT‐Based Body Composition Analysis: A Large‐Animal Study
title_sort impact of radiation dose on ct based body composition analysis a large animal study
topic animals
body composition
deep learning
radiation
tomography (X‐ray computed)
url https://doi.org/10.1002/jcsm.13741
work_keys_str_mv AT lucasalhofer theimpactofradiationdoseonctbasedbodycompositionanalysisalargeanimalstudy
AT gregorjost theimpactofradiationdoseonctbasedbodycompositionanalysisalargeanimalstudy
AT mathiasmeetschen theimpactofradiationdoseonctbasedbodycompositionanalysisalargeanimalstudy
AT danielvanlandeghem theimpactofradiationdoseonctbasedbodycompositionanalysisalargeanimalstudy
AT michaelforsting theimpactofradiationdoseonctbasedbodycompositionanalysisalargeanimalstudy
AT denisebos theimpactofradiationdoseonctbasedbodycompositionanalysisalargeanimalstudy
AT christianbojahr theimpactofradiationdoseonctbasedbodycompositionanalysisalargeanimalstudy
AT renehosch theimpactofradiationdoseonctbasedbodycompositionanalysisalargeanimalstudy
AT felixnensa theimpactofradiationdoseonctbasedbodycompositionanalysisalargeanimalstudy
AT hubertuspietsch theimpactofradiationdoseonctbasedbodycompositionanalysisalargeanimalstudy
AT johanneshaubold theimpactofradiationdoseonctbasedbodycompositionanalysisalargeanimalstudy
AT lucasalhofer impactofradiationdoseonctbasedbodycompositionanalysisalargeanimalstudy
AT gregorjost impactofradiationdoseonctbasedbodycompositionanalysisalargeanimalstudy
AT mathiasmeetschen impactofradiationdoseonctbasedbodycompositionanalysisalargeanimalstudy
AT danielvanlandeghem impactofradiationdoseonctbasedbodycompositionanalysisalargeanimalstudy
AT michaelforsting impactofradiationdoseonctbasedbodycompositionanalysisalargeanimalstudy
AT denisebos impactofradiationdoseonctbasedbodycompositionanalysisalargeanimalstudy
AT christianbojahr impactofradiationdoseonctbasedbodycompositionanalysisalargeanimalstudy
AT renehosch impactofradiationdoseonctbasedbodycompositionanalysisalargeanimalstudy
AT felixnensa impactofradiationdoseonctbasedbodycompositionanalysisalargeanimalstudy
AT hubertuspietsch impactofradiationdoseonctbasedbodycompositionanalysisalargeanimalstudy
AT johanneshaubold impactofradiationdoseonctbasedbodycompositionanalysisalargeanimalstudy