title: Detection of attenuated plaque in stable angina with 64-multidetector computed tomography: a comparison with intravascular ultrasound.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To clarify multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) findings of attenuated plaque detected by intravascular ultrasound (IVUS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred and fifty-four patients with stable angina underwent MDCT before IVUS. The attenuated plaque was identified in the targeted artery with IVUS, and the same artery was analyzed with MDCT for the presence of a high density area (HDA) >130 Hounsfield units (HU), and a low density area (LDA) <30 HU. A HDA in attenuated plaque was compared with that in calcified plaque. Ten attenuated plaques and 15 calcified plaques were identified in 9 of 154 patients (males=9, 66.2 ± 9.5 years). Eight of the 10 attenuated plaques and all 15 calcified plaques were accompanied with a HDA on MDCT. The HDA ranged from 174 to 667 HU (mean 389.0 ± 148.3 HU) in the 8 attenuated plaques, and from 545 to 1,205 HU (mean 920.9 ± 215.9 HU) in 15 calcified plaques. There was a significant difference in CT density of the HDA between the attenuated and calcified plaque (P<0.001). All attenuated plaques contained LDA <30 HU in the portions without HDA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MDCT has the ability to demonstrate attenuated plaque as the combination of HDA (approximately 400 HU on average) and LDA <30 HU. The HDA can be differentiated from calcified plaque by its lower CT density value.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan. jinzaki@rad.med.keio.ac.jp
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jinzaki
authors.forename: Teruo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okabe
authors.forename: Ayaka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Endo
authors.forename: Akio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kawamura
authors.forename: Seiko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Koga
authors.forename: Minoru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: Keiichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fukuda
authors.forename: Sachio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kuribayashi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D060050:Angina, Stable / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D061330:Multidetector Computed Tomography; D058226:Plaque, Atherosclerotic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional