title: Absence of coronary calcification on double-helical CT scans: predictor of angiographically normal coronary arteries in elderly women?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To test the hypothesis that angiographically normal coronary arteries in elderly women are identifiable by the absence of coronary calcification on double-helical computed tomographic (CT) scans.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-eight consecutive women (age range, 60-76 years) underwent coronary angiography for chest pain evaluation, as well as double-helical CT. Thirty women (mean age, 65 years +/- 5) had coronary artery disease (CAD), defined as any angiographic disease, and 18 women (mean age, 66 years +/- 4) had angiographically normal coronary arteries.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Women with angiographically normal coronary arteries had lower coronary calcification scores than those of patients with CAD: 5.7 +/- 11 versus 580 +/- 634, respectively (P = .0004). Seven women with angiographically normal coronary arteries demonstrated mild coronary calcification (score < 50). Of the 11 women without coronary calcification, none had CAD. Thus, the absence of coronary calcification on double-helical CT scans in elderly women was predictive of angiographically normal coronary arteries with 61% sensitivity, 100% specificity, and 85% accuracy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Double-helical CT is an accurate, noninvasive modality for diagnosing angiographically normal coronary arteries in elderly symptomatic women.
authors.affiliation: Cardiac Rehabilitation Institute, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shemesh
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tenenbaum
authors.forename: E Z
authors.initials: EZ
authors.lastname: Fisman
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Apter
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rath
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rozenman
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Itzchak
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Motro
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D000787:Angina Pectoris / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002637:Chest Pain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D017023:Coronary Angiography / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012016:Reference Values; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data