Noninvasive tissue characterization of coronary arterial plaque by 16-slice computed tomography in acute coronary syndrome.
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.
Sakakura
Kenichi
K
First Department of Integrated Medicine, Omiya Medical Center, Jichi Medical School, Saitama, Japan.
Yasu
Takanori
T
Kobayashi
Yasuyuki
Y
Katayama
Takuji
T
Sugawara
Yoshitaka
Y
Funayama
Hiroshi
H
Takagi
Yousuke
Y
Ikeda
Nahoko
N
Ishida
Takeshi
T
Tsuruya
Yoshio
Y
Kubo
Norifumi
N
Saito
Muneyasu
M
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