Early versus late acute coronary syndrome risk patterns of coronary atherosclerotic plaque.

Aims: The temporal instability of coronary atherosclerotic plaque preceding an incident acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is not well defined. We sought to examine differences in the volume and composition of coronary atherosclerosis between patients experiencing an early (≤90 days) versus late ACS (>90 days) after baseline coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA).

Methods And Results: From a multicenter study, we enrolled patients who underwent a clinically indicated baseline CCTA and experienced ACS during follow-up.

Relationship Between Coronary Artery Calcium and Atherosclerosis Progression Among Patients With Suspected Coronary Artery Disease.

Background: Among symptomatic patients, it remains unclear whether a coronary artery calcium (CAC) score alone is sufficient or misses a sizeable burden and progressive risk associated with obstructive and nonobstructive atherosclerotic plaque.

Objectives: Among patients with low to high CAC scores, our aims were to quantify co-occurring obstructive and nonobstructive noncalcified plaque and serial progression of atherosclerotic plaque volume.

Methods: A total of 698 symptomatic patients with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD) underwent serial coronary computed tomographic angiography (CTA) performed 3.

Vessel-specific plaque features on coronary computed tomography angiography among patients of varying atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk.

Aims: The relationship between AtheroSclerotic CardioVascular Disease (ASCVD) risk and vessel-specific plaque evaluation using coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA), focusing on plaque extent and composition, has not been examined. To evaluate differences in quantified plaque characteristics (using CCTA) between the three major coronary arteries [left anterior descending (LAD), right coronary (RCA), and left circumflex (LCx)] among subgroups of patients with varying ASCVD risk.

Methods And Results: Patients were included from a prospective, international registry of consecutive patients who underwent CCTA for evaluation of coronary artery disease.

Plaque erosion masquerading as spontaneous coronary artery dissection: A case of sudden coronary death.

The three most common mechanisms of thrombosis in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) are plaque rupture, plaque erosion and calcified nodule. Plaque erosion occurs over an intact fibrous cap, commonly over pathological intimal thickening (PIT) rather than thin cap fibroatheroma (TCFA), and is more common among younger and female patients. A very rare mechanism of ACS is spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD), resulting from the formation of an intramural hematoma and/or intimal disruption.

Association of Statin Treatment With Progression of Coronary Atherosclerotic Plaque Composition.

Importance: The density of atherosclerotic plaque forms the basis for categorizing calcified and noncalcified morphology of plaques.

Objective: To assess whether alterations in plaque across a range of density measurements provide a more detailed understanding of atherosclerotic disease progression.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This cohort study enrolled 857 patients who underwent serial coronary computed tomography angiography 2 or more years apart and had quantitative measurements of coronary plaques throughout the entire coronary artery tree.

Multiparametric Rest and Dobutamine Stress Magnetic Resonance in Assessment of Myocardial Viability.

Background: MR feature-tracking (FT) is a novel technique that quantitatively calculates myocardial strain and can assess myocardial viability.

Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility of FT at rest and with low-dose dobutamine (LDD), visual assessment of contractility with LDD and left ventricle (LV) end-diastolic wall thickness (EDWT) in the assessment of viability in ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM) patients compared to delayed gadolinium enhancement (DGE).

Study Type: Prospective.

Comparative differences in the atherosclerotic disease burden between the epicardial coronary arteries: quantitative plaque analysis on coronary computed tomography angiography.

Aims: Anatomic series commonly report the extent and severity of coronary artery disease (CAD), regardless of location. The aim of this study was to evaluate differences in atherosclerotic plaque burden and composition across the major epicardial coronary arteries.

Methods And Results: A total of 1271 patients (age 60 ± 9 years; 57% men) with suspected CAD prospectively underwent coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA).

Strain analysis using feature tracking cardiac magnetic resonance (FT-CMR) in the assessment of myocardial viability in chronic ischemic patients.

The purpose of this study is to test the capability of a commercially available feature tracking-cardiac magnetic resonance (FT-CMR) strain analysis software module in differentiating between viable and non-viable myocardium in chronic ischemic patients. Thirty chronic ischemic patients and 10 healthy volunteers were enrolled. Cine images were used for peak circumferential and radial strains quantification using dedicated FT-CMR software.

Multi-detector computed tomography in the assessment of tetralogy of Fallot patients: is it a must?

Background: Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) accounts for 10% of all CHD. It classically consists of ventricular septal defect (VSD), aortic overriding, right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) obstruction, and RV hypertrophy. There are many anatomic variants, associated intracardiac and extracardiac anomalies that must be taken into consideration when imaging and planning the surgical procedure needed.