{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,19]],"date-time":"2026-02-19T02:56:56Z","timestamp":1771469816702,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":28,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,7,20]],"date-time":"2022-07-20T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1658275200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Medicina"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background and Objectives: Cardiac computed tomography angiography (CCTA) is an excellent non-invasive imaging tool to evaluate coronary arteries and exclude coronary artery disease (CAD). Managing intermediate coronary artery stenosis with negative or inconclusive functional tests is still a challenge. A regular stenosis evaluation together with high-risk plaque features, using semi-automated programs, are becoming promising tools. This case\u2013control study was designed to evaluate the intermediate lesion features\u2019 impact on CAD outcomes, using a semi-automated CCTA atherosclerotic plaque analysis program. Materials and Methods: We performed a single-center, prospective cohort study. A total of 133 patients with low to intermediate risk of CAD, older than 18 years with no previous history of CAD and good quality CCTA images were included in the study, and 194 intermediate stenosis (CAD-RADS 3) were analyzed. For more detailed morphological analysis, we used semi-automated CCTA-dedicated software. Enrolled patients were prospectively followed-up for 2 years. Results: Agatston score was significantly higher in the major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) group (p = 0.025). Obstruction site analysis showed a significantly lower coronary artery remodeling index (RI) among patients with MACE (p = 0.037); nonetheless RI was negative in both groups. Plaque consistency analysis showed significantly bigger necrotic core area in the MACE group (p = 0.049). In addition, unadjusted multivariate analysis confirmed Agatston score and RI as significant MACE predictors. Conclusions: The Agatston score showes the total area of calcium deposits and higher values are linked to MACE. Higher plaque content of necrotic component is also associated with MACE. Additionally, negatively remodeled plaques are linked to MACE and could be a sign of advanced CAD. The Agatston score and RI are significant in risk stratification for the development of MACE.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/medicina58070964","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,7,21]],"date-time":"2022-07-21T03:34:40Z","timestamp":1658374480000},"page":"964","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Coronary CT Value in Quantitative Assessment of Intermediate Stenosis"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"58","author":[{"given":"Laura","family":"Zajan\u010dkauskien\u0117","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Cardiology, Medical Academy, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, LT-50161 Kaunas, Lithuania"},{"name":"Department of Cardiology, Kaunas Clinics, Hospital of Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, LT-50161 Kaunas, Lithuania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Laura","family":"Radionovait\u0117","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Cardiology, Medical Academy, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, LT-50161 Kaunas, Lithuania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Antanas","family":"Jankauskas","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Radiology, Kaunas Clinics, Hospital of Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, LT-50161 Kaunas, Lithuania"},{"name":"Institute of Cardiology, Medical Academy, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, LT-50166 Kaunas, Lithuania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Audra","family":"Bani\u0161auskait\u0117","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Radiology, Kaunas Clinics, Hospital of Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, LT-50161 Kaunas, Lithuania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Gintar\u0117","family":"\u0160akalyt\u0117","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Cardiology, Medical Academy, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, LT-50161 Kaunas, Lithuania"},{"name":"Department of Cardiology, Kaunas Clinics, Hospital of Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, LT-50161 Kaunas, Lithuania"},{"name":"Institute of Cardiology, Medical Academy, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, LT-50166 Kaunas, Lithuania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,7,20]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"409","DOI":"10.1007\/s00059-020-04935-x","article-title":"ESC 2019 guidelines for the diagnosis and management of chronic coronary syndromes: Recommendations for cardiovascular imaging","volume":"45","author":"Saraste","year":"2020","journal-title":"Herz"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"338","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jcct.2014.07.006","article-title":"President\u2019s page: Ten years of innovation in cardiac CT","volume":"8","author":"Cury","year":"2014","journal-title":"J. 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