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Updated: Jul 16, 2025

Identifying Coronary Artery Calcification on Non-gated Computed Tomography Scans
Published on: August 28, 2018
Non-Calcified Coronary Artery Plaque on Coronary Computed Tomography Angiogram: Prevalence and Significance
Bandar Alyami1, Matthew Santer1, Karthik Seetharam2
1Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA.
Objective:
We aimed to assess the prevalence of non-calcified plaque (NCP) on computed tomography angiography (CCTA) in symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals. In addition, we seek to compare plaque assessment on CCTA with intravascular ultrasound-virtual histology (IVUS-VH) and to assess the prognostic value of non-calcified plaques (NCPs).
Background:
The CCTA can characterize coronary plaques and help quantify burden. Furthermore, it can provide additional prognostic information which can enable further risk stratification of patients.
Methods:
We performed a broad comprehensive review of the current literature pertaining to CCTA and primarily isolated NCP in symptomatic and asymptomatic patients. In addition, our review included studies correlating plaque on CT with IVUS-VH.
Conclusions:
NCP is the initial precursor of calcified plaque and serves as a prominent marker of early coronary atherosclerosis. By detecting NCP during early stages, several measures can be implemented which can alter the evolutionary course of the underlying disease. This can potentially lead to a lower incidence of cardiovascular events.
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