title: Is coronary artery calcium mass related to Agatston score?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between the coronary calcium mass and Agatston score measured on multidetector row computed tomography.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-three consecutive subjects (60 men and 23 women) referred for coronary screening were examined prospectively by electrocardiogram-triggered sequential multidetector row computed tomography scan (4 x 2.5-mm collimation). Their coronary calcium was quantitated by means of the Agatston scoring and mass method. The values of score and mass were transformed by taking the natural logarithm (ln(value + 1)) to reduce skewness. The relationship between the mass and score was analyzed with multiple regression analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty-one subjects had a total of 328 calcified lesions detected and measured. The relationship between the calcium mass and score in 51 subjects conformed well to a linear relationship (r2 = 0.96). When analyzed in the total of 328 lesions, the relationship had a good empiric fit with a nonlinear (quadratic) model (r2 = 0.96). The best-fit equation was ln(lesion mass + 1) = -0.87 + 0.67 x ln(lesion score + 1) + 0.10 x (ln(lesion score + 1) - 2.86)2. This relationship was consistent in different coronary vessels and at different heart levels (r2 = 0.96 - 0.99), although there was a higher image noise at lower heart levels (paired t-tests, P < .0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A nonlinear (quadratic) relationship existed strongly and consistently between coronary calcium mass and score, demonstrating a possible cross-sectional conversion between the two measurements.
authors.affiliation: Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.
authors.forename: Cheng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Thomas K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Pilgram
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Kyongtae T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Bae
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed