title: [Volume of coronary calcified plaques by computed tomography and presence of significant stenosis by coronary angiography].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Coronary artery calcium is almost pathognomonic of atherosclerosis. In 1990, Agatston designed a method to measure the coronary calcium score by computed tomography. Our aim was to establish the association between coronary calcified plaque volumes calculated by 64 slice computed tomography and the presence of significant coronary stenosis diagnosed by invasive coronary angiography.
  
  
  METHODS
  150 consecutive patients, 66.6% male, scheduled for invasive coronary angiography were studied. Coronary calcium score was measured per patient and per artery by computed tomography previous to invasive coronary angiography. 128 calcified plaques were enrolled and volume was determined by Callister method introduced in 1998. According to the volume, the plaques were classified in two groups: small if volume ≤ 10 mm3 and big if > 10 mm3.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 79% of plaques with a volume > 10 mm3, significant coronary stenosis was detected by invasive coronary angiography versus 17% with small volume (p < 0.0001). More than 75% of plaques with volume > 10 mm3 in circumflex artery, anterior descending artery and right coronary artery were associated with significant coronary stenosis (p < 0.0001). Spearman correlation was 0.8. The sensitivity and specificity of significant coronary stenosis were 98.7% and 71.7% respectively for a cut off value of 6,5 mm3, area under the curve of 0,88 ± 0,32 (CI 95%, 0.815 to 0.940).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Association between coronary calcified plaque volume diagnosed by computed tomography and the presence of significant coronary stenosis diagnosed by invasive coronary angiography was observed.
authors.affiliation: Especialista de 2° Grado en Cardiología. Instituto de Cardiología y Cirugía Cardiovascular. Ciudad de La Habana, Cuba.
authors.forename: Vladimir
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mendoza-Rodríguez
authors.forename: Luis R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Llerena
authors.forename: Adolfo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-de la Vega
authors.forename: Yoandry
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Díaz
mesh_terms: D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D023921:Coronary Stenosis / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D061205:Vascular Calcification / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*