FIGURE 1.
In chronological order, the figure includes: (1) Case 1 CCTA scan demonstrating a severe proximal LAD stenosis caused by noncalcified plaque, with two high-risk plaque characteristics present: positive remodeling and low attenuation (on the left side, enclosed by the yellow frame, highlighted by green zones); (2) FAI mapping result of the affected segment, showing an inhomogeneous mix of yellow, red, and blue colors, representing high vascular inflammation (within the orange frame); (3) Elective PCI procedure (enclosed by the green frame).
FIGURE 2.
(1) Case 2 CCTA scan reveals a severe stenosis in the second segment of the LAD due to a non-calcified plaque, with the same two high-risk plaque characteristics present (enclosed by the yellow frame, highlighted by green zones); (2) FAI mapping of the affected segment displays an uneven mix of yellow, red, and blue colors, indicating high vascular inflammation (within the orange frame); (3) Elective PCI procedure with good results (enclosed by the green frame).
FIGURE 3.
(1) Case 3 CCTA scan: Severe LAD stenosis due to non-calcified plaque (yellow frame, green zones); (2) FAI mapping: High vascular inflammation (orange frame); (3) Elective PCI procedure (green frame).
FIGURE 4.
PVAT examination findings: FAI score, adjusted relative risk for age and gender, and weighted FAI score of the most inflamed coronary artery
TABLE 1.
Baseline, risk factors, laboratory and PVAT inflammation parameters for each case
| Parameters | Case 1 | Case 2 | Case 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age at time of scan (years) | 33 | 59 | 43 |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 30.56 | 25.06 | 31.22 |
| LVEF (%) | 50 | 47 | 48 |
| Risk factors | |||
| Hypertension | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Hypercholesterolemia | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Diabetes | No | No | No |
| Smoking | No | No | No |
| Laboratory parameters | |||
| Creatinine (mg/dL) | 1.13 | 0.91 | 0.87 |
| Total cholesterol (mg/dL) | 211 | 260 | 172 |
| LDL cholesterol (mg/dL) | 103 | 197 | 113 |
| Triglycerides (mg/dL) | 106 | 105 | 107 |
| PVAT inflammation parameters | |||
| FAI (HU) | −68.27 | −66.44 | −67.38 |
| FAI score | 2.50 | 19.20 | 4.40 |
| FAI score percentile (%) | 90th | 96th | 85th |
| Calcium score | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| CAD-RADS Score | IV A | IV A | IV A |
| SYNTAX Score | 8 | 5 | 5 |
| PCI after CCTA | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-vessel PCI | No | No | No |
[i] BMI, body mass index; LVEF, left ventricular ejection fraction