Purpose: The purpose of this study was the evaluation of multidetector-row computed tomography (MDCT) for the assessment of atherosclerotic coronary artery vessel wall changes.
Methods: In an ex vivo study, 17 human hearts were scanned with MDCT and results were compared to histopathology. Morphologic imaging criteria of MDCT for various plaque-types were developed. In a following in vivo study, 94 coronary MDCT angiograms (MDCTA) of patients with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD) were reviewed retrospectively, assessing the diagnostic value of the coronary MDCTA, and determining the number and correlations of the various plaques types as described in the ex vivo study. Additionally, volumetry of calcified and noncalcified plaque components was performed.
Results: In the ex vivo study, MDCT showed a high sensitivity for calcified and non-calcified plaques. Comparing the results with histopathology, characteristic image criteria could be determined for lipid-rich, fibrous and calcified plaque components. Reviewing the contrastenhanced in-vivo MDCT coronary angiographies, presence of noncalcified plaques was proven in 38% of the patients. In 5 patients with a calcium score of 0, presence of coronary atherosclerosis was proven in the contrastenhanced scan.
Conclusions: MDCT is able to differentiate various plaque components in an ex vivo setting as well as invivo. Contrastenhanced MDCT of the coronary arteries allows for the detection of noncalcified plaques. In vivo volumetry of noncalcified plaques is feasible.