Dual-layer dual-energy CT-derived pulmonary perfusion for the differentiation of acute pulmonary embolism and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension

To evaluate dual-layer dual-energy computed tomography (dlDECT)-derived pulmonary perfusion maps for differentiation between acute pulmonary embolism (PE) and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). This retrospective study included 131 patients (57 patients with acute PE, 52 CTEPH, 22 controls), who underwent CT pulmonary angiography on a dlDECT. Normal and malperfused areas of lung parenchyma were semiautomatically contoured using iodine density overlay (IDO) maps. First-order histogram features of normal and malperfused lung tissue were extracted. Iodine density (ID) was normalized to the mean pulmonary artery (MPA) and the left atrium (LA). Furthermore, morphological imaging features for both acute and chronic PE, as well as the combination of histogram and morphological imaging features, were evaluated. In acute PE, normal perfused lung areas showed a higher mean and peak iodine uptake normalized to the MPA than in CTEPH (both p < 0.001). After normalizing mean ID in perfusion defects to the LA, patients with acute PE had a reduced average perfusion (ID${}_{mean,LA}$) compared to both CTEPH patients and controls (p < 0.001 for both). ID${}_{mean,LA}$ allowed for a differentiation between acute PE and CTEPH with moderate accuracy (AUC: 0.72, sensitivity 74%, specificity 64%), resulting in a PPV and NPV for CTEPH of 64% and 70%. Combining ID${}_{mean,LA}$ in the malperfused areas with the diameter of the MPA (MPA${}_{dia}$) significantly increased its ability to differentiate between acute PE and CTEPH (sole MPA${}_{dia}$: AUC: 0.76, 95%-CI: 0.68-0.85 vs. MPA${}_{dia}$ + 256.3 * ID${}_{mean,LA}$ - 40.0: AUC: 0.82, 95%-CI: 0.74-0.90, p = 0.04). dlDECT enables quantification and characterization of pulmonary perfusion patterns in acute PE and CTEPH. Although these lack precision when used as a standalone criterion, when combined with morphological CT parameters, they hold potential to enhance differentiation between the two diseases. Differentiating between acute PE and CTEPH based on morphological CT parameters is challenging, often leading to a delay in CTEPH diagnosis. By revealing distinct pulmonary perfusion patterns in both entities, dlDECT may facilitate timely diagnosis of CTEPH, ultimately improving clinical management.