Thoracic aortic distensibility and its relationship to aortic atherosclerotic plaques: A multicenter study using ECG-gated 64-slice and dual-source (256-slice) computed tomography

Despite previously shown relationship between the aortic atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease, the relationship between aortic distensibility and the presence, extent and composition of thoracic aortic plaques (TAP) is not widely assessed. We evaluated the relationship between aortic distensibility and the presence, extent and composition of TAP in current research. Retrospective ECG-gated coronary multi-slice CT was performed for 150 subjects (75 with and 75 without TAP; mean age: 59.0 ± 13.5 years; 54.7% female) using two 64-slice and a dual-source 256-slice scanners. Aortic distensibility index (ADI) was measured at local TAP (L-ADI) and predefined locations including ascending aorta (A-ADI), proximal (PD-ADI) and distal descending aorta (DD-ADI). Total ADI (T-ADI) was the mean of predefined locations. Pearson's and Spearman's correlation tests and multivariate logistic regression were used to examine the association between study meas ures. All ADIs of the patients with calcified TAP were significantly lower than patients with non-calcified or without TAP (p<0.0001). All ADIs, except for L-ADI, of the patients with coronary plaque were significantly lower than those without coronary plaque (p<0.0001). In the multivariate analysis adjusted for age, gender, diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolemia, hypertension and cigarette smoking, presence of TAP, particularly calcified TAP, was independently correlated with ADI. A less distensible thoracic aorta is associated with calcified aortic and coronary plaques. Aortic plaque is an independent predictor of the stiffer aorta.