title: Noninvasive tissue characterization of coronary arterial plaque by 16-slice computed tomography in acute coronary syndrome.
abstract: Noninvasive characterization of coronary plaques is challenging for cardiologists. The authors' goal was to explore the clinical feasibility of newly developed 16-slice computed tomography (CT) in tissue characterization of coronary arterial plaques in patients with acute coronary syndrome. Sixteen patients with acute coronary syndrome underwent 16-slice CT (Aquillion, Toshiba) and coronary arteriography with intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) within 7 days. Twenty-three plaques were classified by IVUS according to plaque echogenicity: 6 soft plaques, 11 intermediate plaques, and 6 calcified plaques. Mean (+/- SD) CT numbers (Hounsfield units [HU]) of these 3 types of plaques were 50.6 +/-14.8 HU, 131 +/-21.0 HU, and 721 +/-231 HU, respectively. Sixteen-slice CT facilitates noninvasive tissue characterization of coronary arterial plaques.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Integrated Medicine, Omiya Medical Center, Jichi Medical School, Saitama, Japan.
authors.forename: Kenichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sakakura
authors.forename: Takanori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yasu
authors.forename: Yasuyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Takuji
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Katayama
authors.forename: Yoshitaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sugawara
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Funayama
authors.forename: Yousuke
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takagi
authors.forename: Nahoko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ikeda
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ishida
authors.forename: Yoshio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tsuruya
authors.forename: Norifumi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kubo
authors.forename: Muneyasu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saito
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000789:Angina, Unstable / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional