April 25, 2026Journal of the American College of Cardiology
Noninvasive detection and evaluation of atherosclerotic coronary plaques with multislice computed tomography11This study was performed without additional financial support.
Key result
MSCT accurately differentiates coronary plaque composition across soft, intermediate, and calcified lesions.
- P<0.0001
- n=15
Why the study?
Reliable noninvasive assessment of coronary plaque configuration is needed for risk stratification in patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease.
Does multislice computed tomography accurately determine coronary lesion configuration compared to intracoronary ultrasound in patients with coronary plaques?
Comparison
Multislice computed tomography vs intracoronary ultrasound
Design
Cross-sectional study
Authors
Discussion
Loading...
Member takes
Implication
May allow noninvasive vulnerable plaque detection by MSCT; leaves open clinical utility pending larger validation.
Key Points
- To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of multislice computed tomography (MSCT) in determining coronary plaque composition compared to intracoronary ultrasound (ICUS).
- Evaluated 15 patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease using both MSCT and invasive ICUS.
- Classified plaque configuration via ICUS echogenicity into soft, intermediate, and calcified categories.
- Measured MSCT plaque tissue density in Hounsfield units (HU) across identified lesions.
- Among 34 analyzed plaques, MSCT density differed significantly across ICUS-classified soft (14 ± 26 HU), intermediate (91 ± 21 HU), and calcified plaques (419 ± 194 HU; p < 0.0001).
- Attenuation ranges were -42 to +47 HU for soft plaques, 61 to 112 HU for intermediate plaques, and 126 to 736 HU for calcified plaques, enabling clear separation of lesion types.
Study Design
Type
Cross-Sectional (n=15)
Structured PICO
Does multislice computed tomography accurately determine coronary lesion configuration compared to intracoronary ultrasound in patients with coronary plaques?
P
Population
15 patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease who underwent evaluation of 34 coronary plaques using both MSCT and ICUS.
E
Exposure
Multislice computed tomography (MSCT)
C
Comparator
Intracoronary ultrasound (ICUS)
O
Outcome
Accuracy in determining coronary lesion configuration (plaque composition/density)surrogate
Main Result
p-value: p=<0.0001
MSCT can noninvasively differentiate coronary plaque composition (soft, intermediate, calcified) with density values correlating with intracoronary ultrasound findings.
Cite This Study
Schroeder et al. (2001) conducted a cross-sectional in Known or suspected coronary artery disease (n=15). Multislice computed tomography (MSCT) vs. Intracoronary ultrasound (ICUS) was evaluated on Plaque density (Hounsfield units) across soft, intermediate, and calcified plaques (p=<0.0001). Multislice computed tomography significantly differentiated coronary plaque composition, with distinct densities for soft (14±26 HU), intermediate (91±21 HU), and calcified (419±194 HU) plaques (P<0.0001).