title: Prevalence of extracardiac findings in the evaluation of ischemic heart disease by multidetector computed tomography.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Multidector computed tomography (MDCT) is now commonly used for the evaluation of coronary artery disease. Because MDCT images include many non-cardiac organs and the patient population evaluated is highly susceptible to extracardiac diseases, this study was designed to evaluate the prevalence of extracardiac findings in the MDCT evaluation of ischemic heart disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  From March 2007 to March 2008, a total of six-hundred twenty patients, who underwent 64-slice MDCT evaluations for chest pain, or dyspnea, were enrolled in this study. Cardiac and non-cardiac findings were comprehensively evaluated by a radiologist.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Enrolled patients included 306 men (49.4%), with a mean age of 66 years. Significant coronary artery stenosis was found in 41.6% of the patients. A total of 158 extracardiac findings were observed in 110 (17.7%) patients. Commonly involved extracardiac organs were lung (36.7%), hepatobiliary system (21.5%), thyroid (19.6%), kidney (10.8%), spine (9.7%) and breast (0.6%). Of those 110 patients, 50 (45.5%) patients underwent further diagnostic investigations. Malignant disease was detected in three (2.7%) patients (lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, and thyroid cancer).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Extracardiac findings are frequently present and should be a concern in the MDCT evaluation of chest pain syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yeungnam University Hospital, 170, Hyeonchungno, Nam-gu, Daegu 705-717, South Korea.
authors.forename: Jeong-Hwan
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Jong-Seon
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Dong-Gu
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Young-Jo
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Sang-Hee
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Yoon-Jung
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Ihn-Ho
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Cho
keywords: Computed tomography; Extracardiac findings; Ischemic heart disease; Malignant disease