Prognostic Implications of Comprehensive Whole Vessel Plaque Quantification Using Coronary Computed Tomography...

The prognostic value of whole vessel plaque quantification has not been fully understood.

We aimed to investigate the clinical relevance of whole vessel plaque quantification on coronary computed tomography angiography.

In a total of 1,013 vessels with fractional flow reserve (FFR) measurement and available coronary computed tomography angiography, high-risk plaque characteristics (HRPC) included minimum lumen area <4 mm², plaque burden ≥70%, low attenuation plaque, positive remodeling, spotty calcification, and napkin-ring sign; and high-risk vessel characteristics (HRVC) included total plaque volume ≥306.5 mm³, fibrofatty and necrotic core volume ≥4.46 mm³, or percent total atheroma volume ≥32.2% in a target vessel, based on corresponding optimal cutoff values. Survival analysis for vessel-oriented composite outcome (VOCO) (a composite of cardiac death, target vessel myocardial infarction, or target vessel revascularization) at 5 years was performed using marginal Cox proportional hazard models.

Whole vessel plaque quantification had incremental predictability in addition to % diameter stenosis and HRPC (P < 0.001) in predicting FFR ≤0.80. Among 517 deferred vessels based on FFR >0.80, the number of HRVC was significantly associated with the risk of VOCO (HR: 2.54; 95% CI: 1.77-3.64) and enhanced the predictability for VOCO of % diameter stenosis and the number of HRPC (P < 0.001). In a landmark analysis at 2 years, the number of HRVC showed sustained prognostic implications beyond 2 years, but the number of HRPC did not.

Whole vessel plaque quantification can provide incremental predictability for low FFR and additive prognostic value in deferred vessels with high FFR over anatomical severity and lesion plaque characteristics. (CCTA-FFR Registry for Risk Prediction; NCT04037163).