title: [Exclusion of coronary calcium with electron beam tomography: an effective filter before invasive diagnosis in symptomatic patients?].
abstract: Electron beam computed tomography (EBCT) is the most sensitive and accurate method of measuring coronary calcium which indicates coronary atherosclerosis. We performed a prospective study in 1764 symptomatic patients who were referred to our hospital for coronary angiography because of suspected coronary artery disease. In all of these patients cardiac catheterization and coronary calcium scanning was performed within 3.2 +/- 4 days. 454/1225 men (37.0%) and 165/539 women (30.6%) had significant coronary stenoses > or = 75%. Only two men (0.4%) and no single woman (0.0%) with stenoses > or = 75% and only 3/323 patients (0.9%) with moderate stenoses (50-75%) did not exhibit coronary calcium. Coronary angiography excluded stenoses in 822 patients. Of these patients 261 (29.4%) did not reveal coronary calcium. In younger patients (< 60 years) without stenosis exclusion of coronary calcium was a frequent finding: 31% of men and 55.8% of women were free of coronary calcium. Thus, exclusion of coronary calcium with electron beam tomography defines a substantial subgroup of patients who have an extremely low risk of significant coronary stenosis despite suspected coronary artery disease in history and non-invasive testing. Determination of coronary calcium might, therefore, be an effective filter before invasive angiography in selected groups of symptomatic patients.
authors.affiliation: Medizinische Klinik I Klinikum Grosshadern der Universität München Marchioninistrasse 15 81377 München, Germany. Rhaberl@med1.med.uni-muenchen.de
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Haberl
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lang
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Knez
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Leber
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Brüning
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Reiser
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Steinbeck
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006328:Cardiac Catheterization; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012737:Sex Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
vernacular_title: Ausschluss von Koronarkalk mit Elektronenstrahltomographie: Geeignet als Filter vor invasiver Diagnostik bei symptomatischen Patienten?