title: Earlobe crease may provide predictive information on asymptomatic peripheral arterial disease in patients clinically free of atherosclerotic vascular disease.
abstract: The diagonal earlobe crease (ELC) has been regarded as a simple marker of atherosclerosis. There is no knowledge concerning the relation of ELC to the presence, extent, and severity of peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Patients (n = 253) without known atherosclerotic vascular disease and symptoms were enrolled consecutively. Ankle brachial index (ABI) was measured. Patients with ELC had lower ABI compared to those with no ELC (1.02 ± 0.12 vs 1.11 ± 0.08, P < .001). Multivariate analysis demonstrated ELC (95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.3-21.9; P: .001) and age (95% CI: 0.87-0.99; P = .02) as independent determinants of abnormal ABI. There was incremental increased frequency of ELC from normal ABI to significant PAD. We have shown for the first time a significant and independent association between presence of ELC and increased prevalence, extent, and severity of PAD in patients without overt atherosclerotic vascular disease.
authors: 1Department of Cardiology, Ahi Evren Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery Training and Research Hospital, Trabzon, Turkey.
authors: Levent
authors: L
authors: Korkmaz
authors: Mustafa Tarik
authors: MT
authors: Ağaç
authors: Zeydin
authors: Z
authors: Acar
authors: Hakan
authors: H
authors: Erkan
authors: Ismail
authors: I
authors: Gurbak
authors: Ibrahim Halil
authors: IH
authors: Kurt
authors: Huseyin
authors: H
authors: Bektas
authors: Erdinc
authors: E
authors: Pelit
authors: Ayca Ata
authors: AA
authors: Korkmaz
authors: Şükrü
authors: Ş
authors: Çelik
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D055109:Ankle Brachial Index; D058070:Asymptomatic Diseases; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D054644:Ear Auricle / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D058729:Peripheral Arterial Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015995:Prevalence; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
keywords: ankle brachial index; earlobe crease; peripheral arterial disease