[Diagonal earlobe crease, a sign of coronary artery disease].
The diagonal earlobe crease is a sign theorically related to coronary artery disease. The purpose of this study was to prove the usefulness of this sign. A total of 104 patients were examined (ages 30 to 80) grouped by age and sex. Forty nine of them were diagnosed of having coronary artery disease by coronary angiography (a 70% obstruction of one of the major arteries), and/or myocardial perfusion imaging with Thallium 201 (fixed defects). The control group included 55 patients (asymptomatic with normal electrocardiogram). Data here obtained included sensitivity (61.2%), specificity (78 2%), positive predictive value (71.4%) and negative predictive value (69.3%). We found a significant relation between the presence of the diagonal earlobe crease and coronary artery disease. We consider it a sign that could prove useful in clinical practice, mainly among patients aged between 30 and 60.
Lamot
Sebastián B
SB
Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Lonegro
Gustavo G
GG
Hernández
Marcos
M
Lamot
Juan M
JM
Lapresa
Susana
S
Sobrino
Edgardo
E
D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D004426:Ear Deformities, Acquired / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004431:Ear, External / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012737:Sex Factors