ABSTRACT
Plaque rupture is the most common cause of acute coronary thrombosis formation and occurs in approximately 65–70% of cases. From a clinical point of view, one might be more interested in a classification of coronary plaques that are associated with pathogenetic mechanisms associated with intracoronary thrombus formation and the subsequent occurrence of acute coronary syndromes or sudden cardiac death. Computed Tomography (CT) coronary plaque imaging allows plaques to be classified into obstructive and non-obstructive. Multislice CT (MSCT) can easily discriminate between a low-density and high-density plaque. Low-density plaques represent lipid core, necrotic, or fibrous tissue and high-density plaques represent calcium, whereas in the setting of an acute coronary syndrome a very low-density lesion of the culprit artery may be assumed to be a thrombotic lesion. MSCT plaque imaging allows, albeit rather crudely, discrimination between different types of advanced coronary plaques.
