Feasibility of computed tomography texture analysis of hepatic fibrosis using dual-energy spectral detector computed tomography

Purpose To evaluate feasibility of computer tomography texture analysis (CTTA) at different energy level using dual-energy spectral detector CT for liver fibrosis. Materials and methods Eighty-seven patients who underwent a spectral CT examination and had a reference standard of liver fibrosis (histopathologic findings, n = 61, or clinical findings for normal, n = 26) were included. Mean gray-level intensity, mean number of positive pixels (MPP), entropy, skewness, and kurtosis using commercially available software (TexRAD) were compared at different energy levels. Optimal CTTA parameter cutoffs to diagnose liver fibrosis were evaluated. CTTA parameters at different energy levels correlated with liver fibrosis. The association of CTTA parameters with energy level was evaluated. Results Mean gray-level intensity, skewness, kurtosis, and entropy showed significant differences between patients with and without clinically significant hepatic fibrosis ( P