title: Thoracic aorta atherosclerosis burden index predicts coronary artery disease in patients undergoing transesophageal echocardiography.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The severity of thoracic aortic atherosclerosis (TAA) is associated with the extent of coronary artery disease (CAD). The aim of this study is to quantitative this relationship by developing a novel atherosclerotic index.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two hundred and forty six consecutive patients underwent transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) and coronary angiography. A grading system was used to define the extent of TAA for individual segment of the thoracic aorta. TAA burden index (TAABI) was defined as the sum of the grading for each segment. Of the derived values TAABI had the greatest specificity and sensitivity in predicting CAD. A TAABI of greater than 6 was associated with 16-fold increase in the probability of CAD with a specificity of 88% and a sensitivity of 81%. The positive predictive value was 77% and the negative predictive value 90%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A TAABI value of greater than 6 accurately predicts the presence of CAD. Patients with no or mild TAA are at low risk of having angiographically significant CAD.
authors.affiliation: Thriasion General Hospital, Magoula, Greece. afrogou@otenet.gr
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Frogoudaki
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Barbetseas
authors.forename: Constadina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Aggeli
authors.forename: Demosthenes
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Panagiotakos
authors.forename: Spyros
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lambrou
authors.forename: Christos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pitsavos
authors.forename: Christodoulos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stefanadis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index