title: Regression of an atherosclerotic coronary artery plaque demonstrated by multislice spiral computed tomography in a patient with stable angina pectoris.
abstract: Multislice spiral computed tomography (MSCT) permits direct visualization of not only coronary artery stenosis but also atherosclerotic plaques in patients with coronary artery disease. In this report, we describe a patient with stable angina in whom the regression of the plaque was documented by serial MSCT examinations. In the patient, a 46-year-old man with stable angina, MSCT revealed a stenotic lesion at the proximal portion of the left anterior descending artery. Axial, curved multiplanar reconstruction and cross-sectional images consistently depicted a protruding computed tomography low-signal mass suggesting an atherosclerotic plaque. Intracoronary ultrasound (ICUS) also documented an eccentric soft plaque with an echo-lucent mass suggesting a lipid core. Lipid-lowering therapy with pravastatin was started. Follow-up MSCT performed 7 months later documented an increase in the luminal area while the external vessel area remained unchanged. The regression of the plaque was also confirmed by a follow-up ICUS study. MSCT was thought to be feasible for serial evaluation of the plaque size and texture.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Nihon University Surugadai Hospital, 1-8-13 Kanda-Surugadai, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-8309, Japan. yuichisatoh@mac.com
authors.forename: Yuichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Fumio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: Akihiro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yoshimura
authors.forename: Takahiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fukui
authors.forename: Takako
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Imazeki
authors.forename: Masahiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Hideki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ono
authors.forename: Shunichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yoda
authors.forename: Masayasu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mitsui
authors.forename: Naoya
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.forename: Satoru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Furuhashi
authors.forename: Motoichiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Katsuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kanmatsuse
mesh_terms: D000787:Angina Pectoris / Q000209:etiology*; D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional