Perivascular fat attenuation index measured by coronary computed tomography angiography as a tool for assessment of ischaemia-causing lesions: a case report

Abstract

Background: It can be difficult to diagnose coronary artery disease in patients with acute coronary syndrome if coronary angiography does not identify stenosis. Coronary inflammation, which can contribute to the pathogenesis of coronary artery disease and acute coronary syndrome, can be quantified using the perivascular fat attenuation index. Furthermore, the perivascular fat attenuation index is a marker for all-cause mortality, cardiac-related mortality and impaired global coronary flow reserve.

Case presentation: Here we report a case of a patient presenting with symptoms of acute coronary syndrome. The patient had hypokinesis of the lateral-posterior wall of the left ventricle, decreased myocardial perfusion in the posterior wall myocardium and elevated myocardial troponin-T and creatine phosphokinase levels. However, coronary computed tomography angiography did not identify arterial stenosis. The patient did have an increased perivascular fat attenuation index, indicating coronary inflammation. Moreover, the fat attenuation index was higher around the left circumflex artery than around the right coronary artery or left anterior descending artery. Intravascular ultrasonography identified an intramural haematoma, leading to a diagnosis of type 3 spontaneous coronary artery dissection in the left circumflex artery.

Conclusions: Perivascular fat attenuation index may be a useful tool to help identify and localise disease-causing lesions, and to direct further testing to confirm a diagnosis of spontaneous coronary artery dissection in acute coronary syndrome patients without significant arterial stenosis.

Keywords: Coronary artery disease; Coronary computed tomography angiography; Perivascular fat attenuation index; Spontaneous coronary artery dissection.