Aortic Distensibility May Be Associated With the Characteristics of Coronary Atherosclerosis Plaque

Purpose: Aortic distensibility (AD) has been shown to be inversely proportional to disease severity and presence of cardiovascular risk factors. MDCT can simultaneously characterize coronary and thoracic aortic atherosclerotic plaque morphology by delineating between calcified, mixed, non-calcified lesions. This study aimed to access relation between the characteristics of coronary plaque and AD in cardiac MDCT. Methods: The study was a retrospective analysis of the findings in 69 patients who performed cardiac MDCT for evaluation of chest pain symptoms. The 69 subjects was performed 64 channel cardiac MDCT and Scan data were reconstructed at 20 phases between 0% and 95% of the R-R intervals with an increment of 5%. Pixel-based measurements of arterial dimensions were performed at 1 cross-section of the descending aorta in a transverse plane at the aortic valve level. End diastole area was measured at 95% of R-R interval and end systolic area was measured at 35% of R-R interval. Aortic distensibility was ...