Noninvasive tissue characterization of coronary arterial plaque by 16-slice computed tomography in acute coronary syndrome.

Noninvasive characterization of coronary plaques is challenging for cardiologists. The authors' goal was to explore the clinical feasibility of newly developed 16-slice computed tomography (CT) in tissue characterization of coronary arterial plaques in patients with acute coronary syndrome. Sixteen patients with acute coronary syndrome underwent 16-slice CT (Aquillion, Toshiba) and coronary arteriography with intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) within 7 days. Twenty-three plaques were classified by IVUS according to plaque echogenicity: 6 soft plaques, 11 intermediate plaques, and 6 calcified plaques. Mean (+/- SD) CT numbers (Hounsfield units [HU]) of these 3 types of plaques were 50.6 +/-14.8 HU, 131 +/-21.0 HU, and 721 +/-231 HU, respectively. Sixteen-slice CT facilitates noninvasive tissue characterization of coronary arterial plaques.