title: Effects of the topographical extent of coronary artery ectasia on coronary blood flow in patients with aortic aneurysms.
abstract: Aortic aneurysms are associated with coronary artery ectasia (CAE). However, the relation between the extent of CAE and coronary blood flow in patients with aortic aneurysms is not fully understood. This study was undertaken to assess the angiographic characteristics and effects of the topographical extent of CAE on coronary blood flow in patients with aortic aneurysms. This study consisted of 93 consecutive patients with aortic aneurysms (AA group) and 79 patients without aortic aneurysms who had angiographically normal coronary arteries as the control group (Control group). Coronary flow velocity was determined using the thrombolysis in myocardial infarction frame count (TFC) and the topographical extent of CAE was assessed. In the AA group, 43 patients (46.2 %) had significant coronary artery stenosis and 37 patients (40.2 %) had diffuse CAE. TFC was significantly higher in the AA group than in the control group in all 3 coronary arteries. Furthermore, mean corrected TFC (CTFC) was significantly higher in the AA group than in the control group (40.1 ± 10.7 vs. 25.8 ± 6.5, p < 0.001). In the AA group, mean CTFC in patients with diffuse CAE was significantly higher than that in patients with segmental CAE (50.2 ± 8.7 vs. 33.6 ± 5.2, p < 0.001). The mean CTFC correlated positively with the topographical extent of CAE. Many patients with aortic aneurysms were accompanied with angiographic coronary artery stenosis and CAE. Furthermore, patients with aortic aneurysms had higher CTFC than those without aortic aneurysms and it was primarily driven by more frequent prevalence of diffuse CAE.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Hiroshima University Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, 1-2-3 Kasumi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima, 734-8551, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ikenaga
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Hiroshima University Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, 1-2-3 Kasumi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima, 734-8551, Japan. skurisu@nifty.com.
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kurisu
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Hiroshima University Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, 1-2-3 Kasumi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima, 734-8551, Japan.
authors.forename: Noriaki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Hiroshima University Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, 1-2-3 Kasumi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima, 734-8551, Japan.
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shimonaga
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Hiroshima University Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, 1-2-3 Kasumi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima, 734-8551, Japan.
authors.forename: Tadanao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Higaki
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Hiroshima University Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, 1-2-3 Kasumi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima, 734-8551, Japan.
authors.forename: Toshitaka
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Iwasaki
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Hiroshima University Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, 1-2-3 Kasumi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima, 734-8551, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroto
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Utsunomiya
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Hiroshima University Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, 1-2-3 Kasumi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima, 734-8551, Japan.
authors.forename: Naoya
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mitsuba
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Hiroshima University Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, 1-2-3 Kasumi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima, 734-8551, Japan.
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ishibashi
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Hiroshima University Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, 1-2-3 Kasumi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima, 734-8551, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Dohi
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Hiroshima University Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima, Japan.
authors.forename: Katsuhiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Imai
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Hiroshima University Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima, Japan.
authors.forename: Taijiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sueda
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Hiroshima University Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, 1-2-3 Kasumi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima, 734-8551, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kihara
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001014:Aortic Aneurysm / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003326:Coronary Circulation; D023921:Coronary Stenosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D004108:Dilatation, Pathologic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
keywords: Aortic aneurysms; Coronary artery ectasia; Thrombolysis in myocardial infarction frame count