Comparison between Dual-Energy CT and Quantitative Susceptibility Mapping in Assessing Brain Iron Deposition in Parkinson Disease.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Both dual-energy CT and quantitative susceptibility mapping can evaluate iron depositions in the brain. The purpose of this study was to compare these 2 techniques in evaluating brain iron depositions in Parkinson disease.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-one patients with Parkinson disease (Parkinson disease group) and 31 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (healthy control group) were included. All participants underwent brain dual-energy CT and quantitative susceptibility mapping. ROIs were set bilaterally in the globus pallidus, substantia nigra, red nucleus, caudate nucleus, and putamen. CT values and magnetic susceptibility values were obtained in each ROI. Differences in CT values and magnetic susceptibility values between the Parkinson disease and healthy control groups were compared, followed by analysis of receiver operating characteristic curves. Correlations between CT values and magnetic susceptibility values were then evaluated.

RESULTS: The CT values of the bilateral globus pallidus, substantia nigra, and red nucleus were higher in the Parkinson disease group ( P  < .05). The magnetic susceptibility values of the bilateral globus pallidus and substantia nigra were higher in the Parkinson disease group ( P  < .05). The CT value of the right globus pallidus in linear fusion images had the highest diagnostic performance (0.912). Magnetic susceptibility values of the bilateral globus pallidus in the Parkinson disease group were positively correlated with CT values at the level of 80 kV(peak), linear fusion images, and SN150 kV(p) ( r = 0.466∼0.617; all, P  < .05).

CONCLUSIONS: Both dual-energy CT and quantitative susceptibility mapping could assess excessive brain iron depositions in Parkinson disease, and we found a positive correlation between CT values and magnetic susceptibility values in the bilateral globus pallidus.