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Feasibility of tissue characterization of coronary plaques using 320-detector row computed tomography: comparison with integrated backscatter intravascular ultrasound

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Abstract

Recently, a new generation of multi-detector row computed tomography (CT) with 320-detector rows (DR) has become available in the clinical settings. The purpose of the present study was to determine the cutoff values of Hounsfield unit (HU) for discrimination of plaque components by comparing HU of coronary plaques with integrated backscatter intravascular ultrasound (IB-IVUS) serving as a gold standard. Seventy-seven coronary atherosclerotic lesions in 77 patients with angina were visualized by both 320-DR CT (Aquilion One, Toshiba, Japan) and IB-IVUS at the same site. To determine the thresholds for discrimination of plaque components, we compared HU with IB values as a gold standard. Optimal thresholds were determined from receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves analysis. The HU values of lipid pool (n = 115), fibrosis (n = 93), vessel lumen and calcification (n = 73) were 28 ± 19 HU (range −18 to 69 HU), 98 ± 31 HU (44 to 195 HU), 357 ± 65 HU (227 to 534 HU) and 998 ± 236 HU (366 to 1,489 HU), respectively. The thresholds of 56 HU, 210 HU and 490 HU were the most reliable predictors of lipid pool, fibrosis, vessel lumen and calcification, respectively. Lipid volume measured by 320-DR CT was correlated with that measured by IB-IVUS (r = 0.63, p < 0.05), whereas fibrous volume measured by 320-DR CT was not. Lipid volume measured by 320-DR CT was correlated with that measured by IB-IVUS, whereas fibrous volume was not correlated with that measured by IB-IVUS because manual exclusion of the outside of vessel hindered rigorous discrimination between fibrosis and extravascular components.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cardiology, Gifu University Gradual School of Medicine, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu, 501-1194, Japan

    Shigekiyo Takahashi, Masanori Kawasaki, Hisayoshi Fujiwara & Shinya Minatoguchi

  2. Department of Cardiology, Kizawa Memorial Hospital, Gifu, Japan

    Shusaku Miyata, Keita Suzuki, Makoto Yamaura, Takahisa Ido & Takuma Aoyama

Authors
  1. Shigekiyo Takahashi
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  2. Masanori Kawasaki
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Correspondence to Masanori Kawasaki.

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Takahashi, S., Kawasaki, M., Miyata, S. et al. Feasibility of tissue characterization of coronary plaques using 320-detector row computed tomography: comparison with integrated backscatter intravascular ultrasound. Heart Vessels 31, 29–37 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00380-014-0577-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00380-014-0577-5

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