Plaque Severity and Coronary Plaque Severity and Coronary Occlusion: Occlusion: Or, Why Plaque Severity is More Important Than Or, Why Plaque Severity is More Important Than Stenosis Stenosis “… “… the less obstructive plaques gave risk to more the less obstructive plaques gave risk to more occlusions occlusions than did the severely obstructed plaques because than did the severely obstructed plaques because of of their much greater number their much greater number ....” ....” Falk, Shah, Fuster: Coronary Plaque Disruption Falk, Shah, Fuster: Coronary Plaque Disruption Circulation 1995;92:pg. 658 Circulation 1995;92:pg. 658 “ “ Because the aggregate risk of rupture Because the aggregate risk of rupture associated with many associated with many nonsignificant lesions exceeds that of the fewer nonsignificant lesions exceeds that of the fewer significant significant lesions, a myocardial infarction will more lesions, a myocardial infarction will more likely originate likely originate
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Plaque Severity and Coronary Occlusion:Plaque Severity and Coronary Occlusion:Or, Why Plaque Severity is More Important Than StenosisOr, Why Plaque Severity is More Important Than Stenosis
“…“…the less obstructive plaques gave risk to more occlusionsthe less obstructive plaques gave risk to more occlusionsthan did the severely obstructed plaques because of than did the severely obstructed plaques because of their much greater numbertheir much greater number....”....”Falk, Shah, Fuster: Coronary Plaque DisruptionFalk, Shah, Fuster: Coronary Plaque DisruptionCirculation 1995;92:pg. 658Circulation 1995;92:pg. 658
““Because the aggregate risk of rupture associated with manyBecause the aggregate risk of rupture associated with manynonsignificant lesions exceeds that of the fewer significantnonsignificant lesions exceeds that of the fewer significantlesions, a myocardial infarction will more likely originate lesions, a myocardial infarction will more likely originate from a nonsignificant lesion.”from a nonsignificant lesion.”Kern, Meier: Evaluation of the Culprit PlaqueKern, Meier: Evaluation of the Culprit PlaqueCirculation 2001;103;3142Circulation 2001;103;3142
EBT and Coronary Artery CalciumEBT and Coronary Artery Calcium
No calcification – EBT/CACNo calcification – EBT/CAC
55 year old woman with chest pain55 year old woman with chest pain
CAC by EBT and Atherosclerotic PlaqueCAC by EBT and Atherosclerotic Plaque
Although not all plaque is visualized by EBCTAlthough not all plaque is visualized by EBCT
and “soft” plaque is currently not measured, and “soft” plaque is currently not measured,
the greater the calcium score, the greater the calcium score,
the greater the plaque burdenthe greater the plaque burden
CAC by EBT:CAC by EBT:““vulnerable” plaque vs “vulnerable” patientvulnerable” plaque vs “vulnerable” patient
““Risk” increases as an individuals CAC Risk” increases as an individuals CAC score and/or percentile rank increasesscore and/or percentile rank increases
Thus, although EBCT and CAC is not ableThus, although EBCT and CAC is not ableto identify the “vulnerable” plaque, it CANto identify the “vulnerable” plaque, it CAN
identify identify “the “the vulnerable patient”vulnerable patient”
EBT and Coronary Artery CalciumEBT and Coronary Artery Calcium
Estimate Prognosis? YESEstimate Prognosis? YES
but does so based upon estimates of but does so based upon estimates of total coronary atherosclerotic plaque burdentotal coronary atherosclerotic plaque burden
and not on visualization of “hard” vs “soft” plaqueand not on visualization of “hard” vs “soft” plaque
EBT and CAC:EBT and CAC:coronary remodeling and CACcoronary remodeling and CAC
CAC
LM/LAD RCA
43 y/o woman+FHx
5.5 mm 8 mmIs this patientat higher riskdue to coronaryartery remodeling?
Annualized Rates of Progression - EBTAnnualized Rates of Progression - EBT
30.2%/year
12%/year
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Untreated
Treated
n = 792
n = 292
Range 5%-20%
Range 22%-52%
Composite of 9 studies – weighted averageComposite of 9 studies – weighted average
EBT is the only non-invasive method visualizingEBT is the only non-invasive method visualizingthe coronary arteries that has been shown to the coronary arteries that has been shown to
• Track changes in coronary “plaque” in responseTrack changes in coronary “plaque” in response to lipid lowering medications, andto lipid lowering medications, and• AndAnd suggest that the magnitude of serial changes can suggest that the magnitude of serial changes can
potentially be of value to predict the development of potentially be of value to predict the development of acute coronary syndromesacute coronary syndromes