New Expert Consensus Document on Coronary CT Imaging of Atherosclerotic Plaque

January 18, 2020) — TheSociety of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (SCCT), in collaboration with the North American Society of Cardiovascular Imaging (NASCI), recently released a new expert consensus document on coronary CT imaging of atherosclerotic plaque.

This document, which is published in theJournal of Cardiovascular Computed Tomographyand co-published in NASCI’sInternational Journal of Cardiovascular Imaging,[1] provides a comprehensive review of the available evidence on imaging of coronary atherosclerosis and standardized definitions for high-risk plaque (HRP) features and distilled evidence on the effectiveness of risk stratification into usable practice points.

According toLeslee Shaw, Ph.D.,MSCCT，专家共识的主席和主要作者:“冠状动脉计算机断层血管造影(CCTA)提供了丰富的临床有意义的信息。鉴于此前，对于如何识别和量化非阻塞性动脉粥样硬化和高风险斑块作为冠状动脉事件前体的存在或不存在，或在循证临床决策中使用，这一共识将起到指导作用。”

Growing evidence over the past decade has accumulated regarding the prognostic significance of nonobstructive and obstructive atherosclerotic plaque and its importance for estimating patient risk and guiding preventive care. Rigorous documentation of atherosclerosis on CCTA provides a vital opportunity to make recommendations for preventive care and to initiate and guide an effective care strategy for at-risk patients.

Shaw goes on to say “This consensus acknowledges both the advantages and limitations of current methods used to assess atherosclerotic plaque in an effort to identify future research that may be needed in this area as further advancements are made and the field rapidly evolves.”

This statement focuses on the following principal issues that will influence how we think about imaging coronary atherosclerotic plaque:
• CT Imaging of Atherosclerotic Plaque: Risk prediction in stable and unstable chest pain syndromes
• Evidence Gaps in Coronary Atherosclerotic Plaque Imaging and Future Research Needs
• CT Plaque Imaging to Direct Risk-Reducing Preventive or Disease-Modifying Therapies: Observational evidence on CCTA-guided preventive strategies
• Minimum Data Elements for Structured Reporting For Coronary Atherosclerotic Plaque
Consensus Summary and Recommendations

Read the full expert consensus document here.

For more information:www.SCCT.org

Reference:

1.Leslee J. Shaw, Ron Blankstein, Jeroen J. Bax, et al. Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography / North American Society of Cardiovascular Imaging – Expert Consensus Document on Coronary CT Imaging of Atherosclerotic Plaque. Journal of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography. Published November 9, 2020. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcct.2020.11.002.