Relationship Analysis Between Pericoronary Fat Attenuation Index and Parameters of Single Plaque

The aim of the study is to investigate the relationship between plaque parameters and pericoronary fat attenuation index (FAI).

A retrospective collection was performed on 227 patients with coronary heart disease who underwent coronary computed tomography angiography examinations in our hospital from May 2021 to April 2023, with a total of 254 right coronary or left anterior descending coronary arteries exhibiting solitary plaques within the FAI measurement area. Based on whether the proximal coronary FAI value was ≥ -70.0 HU, patients and coronary arteries were divided into FAI-positive group (67 cases, 73 coronary arteries) and FAI-negative group (160 cases, 181 coronary arteries). Quantitative parameters of coronary solitary plaques were collected, including stenosis severity, plaque length, plaque volume, plaque composition ratios, minimal luminal area, and calcification score, as well as qualitative parameters such as plaque types and high-risk plaques. Differences in plaque parameters between the FAI-positive and FAI-negative groups were compared.

The proportion of positive remodeling in the FAI-positive group (73 coronary arteries) was higher than that in the FAI-negative group (181 coronary arteries) with statistical significance (89.0% vs 78.5%, P = 0.049). Multivariate analysis revealed that positive remodeling was a risk factor for abnormal FAI values in solitary plaques (odds ratio, 2.271, P = 0.049).

The FAI-positive group had a higher proportion of positive remodeling, and positive remodeling was an independent risk factor for positive FAI values.