Successful intensive lipid-lowering therapy using atorvastatin stabilizes coronary artery plaque as assessed by multi-detector row computed tomography.
A 35-year-old male was diagnosed as angina pectoris and showed severe stenosis with soft plaque in the proximal segment of the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery as detected by multi-detector row computed tomography (MDCT). Although percutaneous coronary stent implantation to the LAD lesion was performed, soft plaque remained in the proximal lesion of the stent. Atorvastatin increased the coronary plaque density at the 6-month follow-up MDCT examination, and the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level fell from 141 to 63 mg/dl after 6 months. This case may indicate that assessment of the shape or composition of coronary plaque by MDCT is a useful strategy for judging the effects of intensive lipid-lowering therapy using statin.
Mitsutake
Ryoko
R
Department of Cardiology, Fukuoka University School of Medicine.
Miura
Shin-ichiro
S
Okamura
Keisuke
K
Niimura
Hideya
H
Kawamura
Akira
A
Saku
Keijiro
K
D000328:Adult; D000787:Angina Pectoris / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000069059:Atorvastatin; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D023921:Coronary Stenosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006538:Heptanoic Acids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011758:Pyrroles / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D006538:Heptanoic Acids; D011758:Pyrroles; D000069059:Atorvastatin