title: Prognostic value of computed tomography coronary angiography in patients with suspected coronary artery disease: a 24-month follow-up study.
abstract: The aim of this study was to determine the predictive value of 64-slice computed tomography coronary angiography (CTCA) for major cardiac events in patients with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD). A total of 187 consecutive patients (119 men, age 62.5 +/- 10.5 years) without known heart disease underwent single-source 64-slice CTCA (Somatom Sensation 64, Siemens) for clinical suspicion of CAD. Patients underwent follow-up for the occurrence of cardiac death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, unstable angina and cardiac revascularization. In total, 2,822 coronary segments were assessed. Forty-two segments (1.5%) were not assessable because of insufficient image quality. Overall, CTCA revealed absence of CAD in 65 (34.7%) patients, nonobstructive CAD (coronary plaque < or =50%) in 87 (46.5%) patients and obstructive CAD (>50%) in 35 (18.8%) patients. A total of 20 major cardiac events (3 myocardial infarctions, 16 cardiac revascularizations, 1 unstable angina) occurred during a mean follow-up of 24 months. One noncardiac death occurred. Seventeen events occurred in the group of patients with obstructive CAD and three events occurred in the group of nonobstructive CAD. The event rate was 0% among patients with normal coronary arteries at CTCA. CTCA has a 100% negative predictive value for major cardiac events at 24-month follow-up in patients with normal coronary arteries.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology and Cardiology, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria, Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: Annachiara
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aldrovandi
authors.forename: Erica
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Maffei
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Palumbo
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Seitun
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Martini
authors.forename: Valerio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Brambilla
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zuccarelli
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tarantini
authors.forename: Annick C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Weustink
authors.forename: Nico R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Mollet
authors.forename: Livia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ruffini
authors.forename: Girolamo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Crisi
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ardissino
authors.forename: Pim J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: de Feyter
authors.forename: Gabriel P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Krestin
authors.forename: Filippo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cademartiri
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D017023:Coronary Angiography / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000401:mortality*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015996:Survival Rate; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*