title: Evaluation of discrete upper septal thickening on 64-slice coronary computed tomographic angiography.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Discrete upper septal thickening (DUST) has been well described in the echocardiology literature. To our knowledge, the computed tomography findings of DUST, however, have not been previously described.
  
  
  METHODS
  Five hundred consecutive coronary computed tomography angiograms were evaluated by 2 cardiothoracic radiologists for the presence of DUST.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 500 studies reviewed, 23 cases had features consistent with DUST (23/500 = 5%). The average systolic blood pressure of patients with DUST (150/77 mm Hg) was higher than that of patients without DUST (133/75 mm Hg). Patients with DUST were older (mean 63 y) than patients without DUST (mean 50 y). None of these patients had evidence of abnormal systolic anterior motion of the mitral valve on cine imaging.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  DUST is seen on coronary computed tomography angiograms and has imaging characteristics distinct from significant pathology, such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Recognizing DUST is important because, unlike hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, previous studies have not found an associated adverse prognosis with DUST.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, The Ohio State University Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
authors.forename: Usha
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Nagaraj
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: King
authors.forename: Summit
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: Subha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ghosh
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002312:Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003287:Contrast Media; D017023:Coronary Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006346:Heart Septum / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D007472:Iohexol; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D007472:Iohexol