Influence of slice thickness and reconstruction kernel on the computed tomographic attenuation of coronary atherosclerotic plaque.

Background: The computed tomographic (CT) attenuation of coronary atherosclerotic plaque has been proposed as a marker for tissue characterization and may thus potentially contribute to the assessment of plaque instability.

Objective: We analyzed the influence of reconstruction parameters on CT attenuation measured within noncalcified coronary atherosclerotic lesions.

Methods: Seventy-two patients were studied by contrast-enhanced dual-source CT coronary angiography (330 millisecond rotation time, 2 x 64 x 0.