Differences in the Fat Attenuation Index Ratio of Pericoronary Adipose Tissue And Aortic Root Epicardial Adipose Tissue in Various Plaques

Weifeng Ying; Qiong Chen; Jun Cao; Ying Zhang; Xin Pan; Fei Ye; Daguang Hao; Huili Liu; Xiaofeng Tao

doi:10.2174/0115734056264891231023054902

Differences in the Fat Attenuation Index Ratio of Pericoronary Adipose Tissue And Aortic Root Epicardial Adipose Tissue in Various Plaques

Curr Med Imaging. 2023 Oct 31. doi: 10.2174/0115734056264891231023054902. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Weifeng Ying¹, Qiong Chen¹, Jun Cao¹, Ying Zhang¹, Xin Pan¹, Fei Ye¹, Daguang Hao¹, Huili Liu¹, Xiaofeng Tao²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Radiology, Dahua Hospital, Xuhui District, Shanghai, China.
² Department of Radiology, The Ninth People's Hospital Affiliated to Medical College of Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China.

PMID: 37921149
DOI: 10.2174/0115734056264891231023054902

Abstract

Background: The fat attenuation index (FAI) of pericoronary adipose tissue is associated with coronary inflammatory reactions.

Objective: This study aimed to analyze the difference in the FAI ratio between pericoronary adipose tissue volume and aortic root epicardial adipose tissue volume (AO-EATV) using computed tomography (CT) in various plaques.

Method: In total, 645 coronary artery CT angiogram images from 215 patients were collected. The types and number of coronary plaques were recorded, and the plaque volume and pericoronary FAI of each branch were compared between the groups. The ratio of the FAI in branches with or without plaques to the AO-EATV was determined and statistically analyzed between the groups.

Results: No significant difference in the plaque volume among the left anterior descending (LAD), left circumflex (LCX), and right coronary artery (RCA) (P > 0.05) as well as in the FAI was observed among various plaque groups (P > 0.05). FAI[LAD]/AO-EATV was in the following order: noncalcified plaques (0.70 ± 0.06) < mixed plaques (0.72 ± 0.06) < calcified plaques (0.73 ± 0.08) < no plaques (0.74 ± 0.07); FAI[LCX]/AOEATV was in the following order: noncalcified plaques (0.71 ± 0.06) < mixed plaques (0.72 ± 0.08) < calcified plaques (0.73 ± 0.09) < no plaques (0.74 ± 0.06); and FAI[RCA]/AO-EATV was in the following order: noncalcified plaques (0.71 ± 0.06) < mixed plaques (0.73 ± 0.07) < calcified plaques (0.74 ± 0.07) < no plaques (0.75 ± 0.09); the differences were statistically significant in each group (P = 0.041, 0.043, and 0.028, respectively).

Conclusion: Compared to simply comparing FAI, FAI/AO-EATV varied in the coronary arteries in various plaque groups. FAI/AO-EATV was lower in noncalcified or mixed plaques and was associated with coronary inflammatory reactions.

Keywords: Adipose Tissue; Atherosclerosis; Computed Tomography Angiography; Computed tomography; Coronary Disease; Plaque.