[Researching the character and stenosis of coronary calcified plaques by using 16-slice spiral CT].
OBJECTIVE
To explore the characters of coronary calcified plaques by using 16-slice spiral CT and determine their stenosis degree according to the results of catheter coronary angiography.


METHODS
Twenty patients who had received 16-slice spiral CT coronary angiography and conventional coronary angiography (CAG) were found to be with calcified plaques. The characters of these plaques, including the diameter of calcified plaques and lumen diameter of the exact artery segment, were retrospectively analyzed. The stenosis degree of the corresponding segment was judged in accordance with the results of CAG.


RESULTS
Totally 84 calcified plaques were observed in 16-slice spiral CT images in these 20 patients. Among them there were 16 small nodules (diameter: < 0.15 cm), 56 purely calcified plaques (diameter: > or = 0. 15 cm), and 12 complex plaques with calcify component. There was no obvious stenosis in artery segments with little calcified nodules. The stenosis degree of most segments with purely calcified plaques (75%) was less than 50%. The stenosis degree had no significant correlation with the size of plaques (P > 0.05). However, the stenosis degree of complex plaques had much closer relationship with the characters of mixed plaques.


CONCLUSIONS
Most coronary segments with calcified plaques have slight stenosis. Their stenosis degree is not related with the size of plaques. The stenosis degree of complex plaques has a closer relationship with the characters of mixed plaques.
Department of Radiology, Sir Run Shaw Hospital, Medical College of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310016, China. heartg@gmail.com
Xiu-hua
XH
Hu
Shi-zheng
SZ
Zhang
Wen-xin
WX
Huang
Qiao-wei
QW
Zhang
Dan
D
Wang
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D017023:Coronary Angiography / Q000379:methods; D023921:Coronary Stenosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D036542:Tomography, Spiral Computed