title: Can aortic atherosclerosis or epicardial adipose tissue volume be used as a marker for predicting coronary artery disease?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate whether aortic atherosclerosis or epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) volume on multidetector computed tomography (CT) can predict the presence of significant coronary artery disease (CAD).
  
  
  METHODS
  Coronary CT angiography was performed in 202 cases of CAD that were known or based on suspicion. Based on coronary CT angiography results, the patients with significant stenosis (≥50%) and without significant stenosis (<50%) were compared in terms of demographic characteristics, traditional cardiovascular risk factors, aortic atherosclerosis, and EAT volume.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant coronary artery stenosis was detected in 92 cases (45.5%). Although EAT volume was higher in the patients with significant stenosis, the difference between the two groups was not statistically significant. The presence of calcification in the descending aorta was significantly higher in the patients with significant stenosis than the patients without significant stenosis (50.4% and 15.4%, respectively, p=0.0001). The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and accuracy rates of the presence of calcification in the descending aorta in predicting the presence of significant coronary artery stenosis were respectively found as 53.8%, 84.4%, 74.6%, 68.1%, and 70.3%. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, and accuracy rates of the ≥2.45mm wall thickness of the descending aorta in predicting the presence of significant coronary artery stenosis were respectively found as 75.3%, 74.3%, 71.4%, 77.9%, and 74.8%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a strong relationship between thoracic aortic atherosclerosis and CAD. However, the relationship between EAT volume and CAD is not significant. The presence of aortic atherosclerosis can be used as an additional marker together with traditional cardiovascular risk factors for predicting CAD.
authors: Department of Radiology, Türkiye Yüksek İhtisas Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors: Gökhan
authors: G
authors: Yüce
authors: Department of Radiology, Türkiye Yüksek İhtisas Hospital, Ankara, Turkey. Electronic address: aturkvatan@yahoo.com.
authors: Aysel
authors: A
authors: Türkvatan
authors: Department of Radiology, Türkiye Yüksek İhtisas Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors: Özlem
authors: Ö
authors: Yener
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D000368:Aged; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D001018:Aortic Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology; D023921:Coronary Stenosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D061330:Multidetector Computed Tomography; D010496:Pericardium / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
keywords: Aorta; Atherosclerosis; Coronary artery disease; Epicardial adipose tissue; Multidetector computed tomography