Detection of coronary artery disease based on the calcification index obtained by helical computed tomography.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the relation between coronary artery disease and the calcification index on helical computed tomography.


METHODS
We studied 22 patients (ages ranging from 40 to 70 years) who underwent coronary angiography because of chest pain suggestive of angina pectoris. Findings on coronary angiography were classified as follows: significant obstructive disease (stenosis > or = 50 %), nonobstructive disease (stenosis <50 %), and no disease. With no previous knowledge of the results of the coronary angiography and within 7 days, helical computed tomography of the chest was performed. Then, data of the coronary angiography were correlated with the calcification index obtained by helical computed tomography.


RESULTS
The sensitivity of helical computed tomography to the presence of significant obstructive lesions on coronary angiography was 87.5 %, specificity was 100 %, and negative and positive predictive values were 75 % and 100 %, respectively. The mean calcification index was greater in patients with severe coronary lesions, mainly when involvement of 2 or 3 vessels occurred, than that in patients with no coronary artery disease or with nonobstructive coronary artery lesions (p<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Helical computed tomography is an effective method for detecting and quantifying coronary artery calcification, and it has proved to be sensitive to and specific for the noninvasive diagnosis of coronary artery stenosis.
Feldman
C
C
Instituto de Cardiologia do Rio Grande do Sul, Fundação Universitária de Cardiologia, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
Vitola
D
D
Schiavo
N
N
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D017023:Coronary Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*