Abstract
Noninvasive imaging tools that allow reliable determination of plaque burden and plaque composition are important for risk stratification and monitoring of coronary atherosclerosis. Coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) has tremendous potential to provide uniquely valuable information concerning coronary atherosclerosis. Beyond the detection of coronary artery stenosis, CCTA can demonstrate coronary atherosclerotic plaque. Certain plaque characteristics, such as positive remodeling or very low CT attenuation, are associated with plaque vulnerability. In this chapter, an overview of CT imaging with a focus on the characterization of coronary artery plaque will be highlighted. In addition, limitations and future directions of CT imaging on coronary artery plaque characterization will be discussed.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Mintz GS, Nissen SE, Anderson WD, et al. American College of Cardiology clinical expert consensus document on standards for acquisition, measurement and reporting of intravascular ultrasound studies (IVUS): a report of the American College of Cardiology Task Force on Clinical Expert Consensus Documents. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2001;37:1478–92.
Nair A, Kuban BD, Tuzcu EM, Schoenhagen P, Nissen SE, Vince DG. Coronary plaque classification with intravascular ultrasound radiofrequency data analysis. Circulation. 2002;106:2200–6.
Nasu K, Tsuchikane E, Katoh O, et al. Accuracy of in vivo coronary plaque morphology assessment: a validation study of in vivo virtual histology compared with in vitro histopathology. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2006;47:2405–12.
Schoepf UJ, Zwerner PL, Savino G, Herzog C, Kerl JM, Costello P. Coronary CT angiography. Radiology. 2007;244:48–6.
Cordeiro MA, Lima JA. Atherosclerotic plaque characterization by multidetector row computed tomography angiography. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2006;47(8 Suppl):C40–7.
Spuentrup E, Botnar RM. Coronary magnetic resonance imaging: visualization of the vessel lumen and the vessel wall and molecular imaging of arteriothrombosis. Eur Radiol. 2006;16:1–14.
Finn AV, Nakano M, Narula J, Kolodgie FD, Virmani R. Concept of vulnerable/unstable plaque. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2010;30:1282–92.
Naghavi M, Libby P, Falk E, et al. From vulnerable plaque to vulnerable patient: a call for new definitions and risk assessment strategies: part I. Circulation. 2003;108:1664–72.
Leber AW, Knez A, von Ziegler F, et al. Quantification of obstructive and nonobstructive coronary lesions by 64-slice computed tomography: a comparative study with quantitative coronary angiography and intravascular ultrasound. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2005;46:147–54.
Leber AW, Becker A, Knez A, et al. Accuracy of 64-slice computed tomography to classify and quantify plaque volumes in the proximal coronary system: a comparative study using intravascular ultrasound. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2006;47:672–7.
Achenbach S, Moselewski F, Ropers D, et al. Detection of calcified and noncalcified coronary atherosclerotic plaque by contrast-enhanced, submillimeter multidetector spiral computed tomography: a segment based comparison with intravascular ultrasound. Circulation. 2004;109:14–7.
Schroeder S, Kopp AF, Baumbach A, et al. Noninvasive detection and evaluation of atherosclerotic coronary plaques with multi-slice computed tomography. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2001;37:1430–5.
Leber AW, Knez A, Becker A, et al. Accuracy of multi-detector spiral computed tomography in identifying and differentiating the composition of coronary atherosclerotic plaques: a comparative study with intracoronary ultrasound. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2004;43:1241–7.
Pohle K, Achenbach S, Macneill B, et al. Characterization of non-calcified coronary atherosclerotic plaque by multi-detector row CT: comparison to IVUS. Atherosclerosis. 2007;190:174–80.
Hur J, Kim YJ, Lee HJ, et al. Quantification and characterization of obstructive coronary plaques using 64-slice computed tomography: a comparison with intravascular ultrasound. J Comput Assist Tomogr. 2009;33:186–92.
Varnava AM, Mills PG, Davies MJ. Relationship between coronary artery remodeling and plaque vulnerability. Circulation. 2002;105:939–43.
Narula J, Achenbach S. Napkin-ring necrotic cores: defining circumferential extent of necrotic cores in unstable plaques. JACC Cardiovasc Imaging. 2009;2:1436–8.
Kashiwagi M, Tanaka A, Kitabata H, et al. Feasibility of noninvasive assessment of thin-cap fibroatheroma by multidetector computed tomography. JACC Cardiovasc Imaging. 2009;2:1412–9.
Carrigan TP, Nair D, Schoenhagen P, et al. Prognostic utility of 64-slice computed tomography in patients with suspected but no documented coronary artery disease. Eur Heart J. 2009;30:362–71.
Chow BJ, Wells GA, Chen L, et al. Prognostic value of 64-slice cardiac computed tomography severity of coronary artery disease, coronary atherosclerosis, and left ventricular ejection fraction. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2010;55:1017–28.
Motoyama S, Sarai M, Harigaya H, et al. Computed tomographic angiography characteristics of atherosclerotic plaques subsequently resulting in acute coronary syndrome. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2009;54:49–57.
Choi EK, Choi SI, Rivera JJ, et al. Coronary computed tomography angiography as a screening tool for the detection of occult coronary artery disease in asymptomatic individuals. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2008;52:357–65.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2015 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Hur, J., Choi, B.W. (2015). Plaque Morphology Evaluation by CT. In: Lim, TH. (eds) Practical Textbook of Cardiac CT and MRI. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-36397-9_6
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-36397-9_6
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-36396-2
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-36397-9
eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)