Imaging the Atherosclerosis with 64-Detector Row Computed Tomography in Homozygous Familial Hypercholesterolemia

Objective: The higher risk and fatality of cardiovascular disease in subjects with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia warrants early screening. Computed tomography angiography is the most promising method at present as a reliable and reproducible noninvasive diagnostic test of cardiovascular disease. We aimed to describe the 64-slice multidetector computed tomography coronary angiography findings of new cases with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia. Methods: Four patients with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (2 female and 2 male) with mean age of 23 ± 9 years were included. Mean plasma total and LDL cholesterol were 654 ± 75 mg/dl and 609 ± 76 mg/dl. Tomography examinations were performed using a 64-row MDCT-CA system (Brilliance Computed Tomography scanner, Philips Healthcare). Results: All patients presented calcified and mixed atherosclerotic plaques in the ascending aorta near the origin of the coronary arteries. More extensive atherosclerosis was found in Case 1 and Case 2 than in other cases. Case 3 has mild atherosclerosis and Case 4 had normal coronaries but plaques in aorta. In addition, we detected myocardial bridging in left anterior descending artery of 2 cases, calcified plaques in postero-lateral branch artery, and calcification in non-coronary sinus in others. Conclusion: Multidetector computed tomography coronary angiography is a useful, non-invasive tool for detecting early aortic and coronary atherosclerosis in homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia subjects and may be the choice of imaging for most of such subjects.