Characteristics of plaque progression detected by serial coronary computed tomography angiography

We previously reported that serial coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) had a potential to evaluate the interval change of plaque morphology of coronary arteries. The aim of this study was to evaluate variables associated with the plaque progression by serial CTA. We included 148 patients (age 66.3 ± 9.8 years, male 81.1 %, median scan interval 12 months) with coronary artery disease undergoing serial CTA. Each coronary artery was compared visually between baseline and follow-up CTA to detect plaque progression. Baseline characteristics between progression and nonprogression patients did not demonstrate any significant differences. Logistic analysis revealed that only low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) ≥100 mg/dl at follow-up was associated with plaque progression (odds ratio 2.59, 95 % confidence interval 1.12–6.34, P = 0.0263). Cutoff value of LDL-C for plaque progression at follow-up was 103.0 mg/dl based on receiver-operator characteristic curves analyses. Of the 36 progressive lesions in 32 patients, plaque composition at baseline included 13 lesions (36.1 %) of noncalcified plaque, 1 lesion (2.8 %) of calcified plaque, 12 lesions (33.3 %) of partially calcified plaque, and the remaining 10 lesions (27.8 %) had no plaque at baseline and revealed de novo plaques at follow-up. There were 9 lesions (25 %) with high-risk plaque (HRP) characteristics at baseline and 18 lesions (50 %) with HRP at follow-up. Plaque progression of coronary arteries by serial CTA was associated with LDL-C ≥100 mg/dl at follow-up regardless of baseline LDL-C level. There was no specific finding to predict plaque progression on the baseline plaque characteristics.