title: Relation of coronary plaque composition determined by 64-slice multidetector computed tomography in patients with suspected coronary heart disease.
abstract: Sixty-four-slice multidetector row computed tomography is a noninvasive method of assessing coronary artery stenosis and plaque composition. The aim of this study was to clarify the relation between plaque composition and coronary heart disease. Three hundred sixty consecutive patients and 1,085 plaques were evaluated using 64-slice multidetector row computed tomography. On axial or cross-sectional multiplanar reconstruction images, 3 regions of interest were randomly selected within each plaque. Soft plaques and calcified plaques were defined as having computed tomographic densities <50 and >130 Hounsfield units, respectively. The association between coronary risk factors and plaque composition was analyzed. The number of plaques and the mean computed tomographic density of plaques were significantly higher in men than in women (p = 0.002 and p = 0.04, respectively). Coronary plaques were more frequent in patients with stroke, diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia than in patients without these conditions (all p values <0.001). Calcified plaques were more frequent in patients with hypertension (p = 0.02), and patients with calcified plaques also had significantly lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (p <0.001). Soft plaques were more frequent in patients with dyslipidemia (p <0.001). Patients with soft plaques had significantly higher low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (p = 0.02) and lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (p <0.001) than those without soft plaques. In conclusion, 64-slice multidetector row computed tomography is a useful noninvasive method for quantifying coronary plaques.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Toho University Ohashi Medical Center, Tokyo, Japan. kunihiko@ss.iij4u.or.jp
authors.forename: Kunihiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Makino
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yoshitama
authors.forename: Shuhei
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kanda
authors.forename: Yosuke
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takasawa
authors.forename: Tomohide
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: Hideki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Itaya
authors.forename: Tetsuo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Fumihiko
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Saeki
authors.forename: Masato
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Kaoru
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sugi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D058226:Plaque, Atherosclerotic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed