Non-invasive magnetocardiography for the early diagnosis of coronary artery disease in patients presenting with acute chest pain.
BACKGROUND
Accurate identification of patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is often difficult especially when an electrocardiogram (ECG) does not show typical elevation of ST segment. The aim of the present study was therefore to evaluate the efficacy of magnetocardiography (MCG) for diagnosis of ACS in patients with acute chest pain presenting without ST segment elevation.


RESULTS
In the present retrospective study 364 patients with the suspected ACS without ST segment elevation were selected. Significant coronary artery disease (CAD) was defined as a stenosis > or =50% in at least one of 16 segments of the 3 major coronary arteries and their branches. The MCG recordings were obtained at resting state using a 64-channel MCG system in a magnetically shielded room. The patients were classified on the basis of the probability distribution. The presence of significant CAD was identified with a sensitivity of 84.0% and a specificity of 85.0%, compared to 44.7% and 89.8% on ECG. In the subgroup of patients without specific findings on ECG or biomarker test, MCG had a sensitivity of 73.5% and a specificity of 82.3%.


CONCLUSIONS
MCG was acceptably sensitive and specific in identifying patients with ACS even in the absence of specific findings on ECG and positive biomarker tests. Thus, MCG seems beneficial for the early triage of patients with acute chest pain.
Center for Brain and Cognitive Science Research, Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science, Daejeon, Korea.
Hyukchan
H
Kwon
Kiwoong
K
Kim
Yong-Ho
YH
Lee
Jin-Mok
JM
Kim
Kwon Kyu
KK
Yu
Namsik
N
Chung
Young-Guk
YG
Ko
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002637:Chest Pain / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D003251:Constriction, Pathologic; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053798:Magnetocardiography / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014218:Triage