Contrast enhancement of coronary atherosclerotic plaque: a high-resolution, multidetector-row computed tomography study of pressure-perfused, human ex-vivo coronary arteries

Abstract

The present study demonstrates that intra-arterial injection of iodinated contrast agent results not only in luminal enhancement but also in atherosclerotic plaque enhancement in pressure-perfused coronary arteries imaged ex vivo. Plaque enhancement should be considered when characterizing plaque components on the basis of Hounsfield unit with multidetector-row computed tomography.