Reproducibility, accuracy, and predictors of accuracy for the detection of coronary atherosclerotic plaque composition by computed tomography: an ex vivo comparison to intravascular ultrasound.

Purpose: To determine the reproducibility, accuracy, and predictors of accuracy of computed tomography (CT) angiography to detect and characterize coronary atherosclerotic plaque as compared with intravascular ultrasound.

Methods: Ten ex vivo human coronary arteries were imaged in a moving phantom by dual-source CT (collimation: 0.6 mm, reconstructed slice thickness: 0.