Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41099812›Full record

ArticleSkeletal radiology2026

Diagnostic accuracy of dual-energy CT virtual non-calcium imaging for detecting spinal metastases: a retrospective comparison with conventional CT.

Hirotaka Nakashima, Junji Mochizuki, Syunsuke Itaya, Hiroyuki Yoshino, Yoshinao Kodama, Yasuo Sakurai, Takanori Masuda, Kazuhiro Sato, Yuji Yaegashi

Abstract readComparative Study
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Skeletal radiology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Hirotaka NakashimaDepartment of Medical Radiation Technology, Teine Keijinkai Hospital, 1-12 Maeda, Tiene, Sapporo, 006-8555, Japan. galileo_suusiki@yahoo.co.jp.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0000-9589-7399
Junji MochizukiDepartment of Radiology, Minamino Cardiovascular Hospital, 1-25-1, Hyoue 1-Chome, Hachioji-Shi, Tokyo, 192-0918, Japan.
Syunsuke ItayaDepartment of Medical Radiation Technology, Teine Keijinkai Hospital, 1-12 Maeda, Tiene, Sapporo, 006-8555, Japan.
Hiroyuki YoshinoDepartment of Medical Radiation Technology, Teine Keijinkai Hospital, 1-12 Maeda, Tiene, Sapporo, 006-8555, Japan.
Yoshinao KodamaDepartment of Diagnostic Radiology, Teine Keijinkai Hospital, 1-12 Maeda, Tiene, Sapporo, 006-8555, Japan.
Yasuo SakuraiDepartment of Diagnostic Radiology, Teine Keijinkai Hospital, 1-12 Maeda, Tiene, Sapporo, 006-8555, Japan.
Takanori MasudaDepartment of Radiological Technology, Faculty of Health Science and Technology, Kawasaki University of Medical Welfare, Matsushima, Kurashiki City, Okayama, 701-0193 288, Japan.
Kazuhiro SatoDepartment of Radiological Technology Faculty of Health Sciences, Hokkaido University of Science, 15-4-1 Maeda, 7-Jo, Tiene, Sapporo, 006-8585, Japan.
Yuji YaegashiDepartment of Radiological Technology Faculty of Health Sciences, Hokkaido University of Science, 15-4-1 Maeda, 7-Jo, Tiene, Sapporo, 006-8585, Japan.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo compare the qualitative diagnostic performance of conventional computed tomography (CT) alone with that of dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) virtual non-calcium (VNCa) imaging for detecting spinal metastases, and evaluate the diagnostic utility of DECT-derived quantitative material parameters in this retrospective diagnostic accuracy study. MATERIALS AND

methodsConsecutive patients (August 2019-January 2024) underwent DECT at a single center. Two board-certified radiologists scored vertebrae on conventional CT and CT + VNCa using a 5-point scale (positive for scores 4-5). The reference standard was a consensus MRI within 3 months, supplemented by PET/CT and/or bone scintigraphy when available. We estimated sensitivity, specificity, and AUC with 95% CIs. Quantitative parameters including 70-keV CT attenuation (HU), water-calcium, water-hydroxyapatite, and Z

resultsWe included 117 patients, comprising 1416 vertebrae; 24.2% had metastases. For conventional CT, sensitivity was 0.70/0.71 (95% CI 0.664-0.738/0.677-0.750) and specificity, 0.97/0.97 (95% CI 0.939-1.000/0.935-1.000). CT + VNCa sensitivity increased to 0.94/0.93 (95% CI 0.906-0.980/0.890-0.964; p < 0.001) and AUC improved to 0.97/0.96 (both p < 0.001, specificity, 0.99/0.98). Quantitative analysis showed significantly higher values of water-calcium (1133.8 vs. 1007.6 mg/cm

conclusionCT + VNCa significantly improves the detection of spinal metastases compared with conventional CT alone. Quantitative parameters from material decomposition analysis provide additional diagnostic value.

Indexed as

Radiography, Dual-Energy Scanned ProjectionSpinal NeoplasmsTomography, X-Ray ComputedAdultAgedAged, 80 and overFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesSensitivity and SpecificityComputed tomographyDual-energy computed tomographySpinal metastasis

Identifiers

PMID41099812

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.