TY - JOUR
T1 - Evidence and characterization of occlusive coronary artery thrombus by multislice-computed tomography
AU - Romagnoli, Andrea
AU - Massaro, Michele
AU - Pellegrino, Luigi
AU - Broccoli, Patrizia
AU - Iellamo, Ferdinando
AU - Sperandio, Massimiliano
AU - Simonetti, Giovanni
PY - 2007/9
Y1 - 2007/9
N2 - In recent years, multislice-computed tomography has been shown to be a reliable tool for non-invasive assessment of atherosclerotic coronary artery plaque, particularly with regard to the location, dimension, morphology, severity and composition of the lesion. In this report, we describe a case of acute coronary syndrome in which multislice-computed tomography showed evidence of a coronary occluding thrombus which probably dissolved spontaneously, as indicated by emergency coronary angiography. This was made possible by analyzing retrospectively multislice-computed tomography density values at the site of the occluded vessel, which were ∼50 Hounsfield Units, and comparing them with subsequent coronary angiography which revealed an open coronary vessel. Although this report needs to be confirmed by more extensive studies, it would seem to indicate that acute coronary syndrome frequently occurs as a consequence of the disruption of slightly occluding, mainly fibro-lipidic coronary plaques. We conclude that density values of ∼50 Hounsfield Units detected by multislice-computed tomography at the site of an occluded vessel should be interpreted in the first instance as a thrombus of recent formation.
AB - In recent years, multislice-computed tomography has been shown to be a reliable tool for non-invasive assessment of atherosclerotic coronary artery plaque, particularly with regard to the location, dimension, morphology, severity and composition of the lesion. In this report, we describe a case of acute coronary syndrome in which multislice-computed tomography showed evidence of a coronary occluding thrombus which probably dissolved spontaneously, as indicated by emergency coronary angiography. This was made possible by analyzing retrospectively multislice-computed tomography density values at the site of the occluded vessel, which were ∼50 Hounsfield Units, and comparing them with subsequent coronary angiography which revealed an open coronary vessel. Although this report needs to be confirmed by more extensive studies, it would seem to indicate that acute coronary syndrome frequently occurs as a consequence of the disruption of slightly occluding, mainly fibro-lipidic coronary plaques. We conclude that density values of ∼50 Hounsfield Units detected by multislice-computed tomography at the site of an occluded vessel should be interpreted in the first instance as a thrombus of recent formation.
KW - Acute coronary syndrome
KW - Coronary angiography
KW - Coronary thrombus
KW - Multislice-computed tomography
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U2 - 10.1016/j.ejrex.2007.06.005
DO - 10.1016/j.ejrex.2007.06.005
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:34548134544
VL - 63
SP - 111
EP - 115
JO - European Journal of Radiology Extra
JF - European Journal of Radiology Extra
SN - 1571-4675
IS - 3
ER -