title: Collateral non cardiac findings in clinical routine CT coronary angiography: results from a multi-center registry.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence of collateral findings detected in computed tomography coronary angiography (CTCA) in a multi-center registry.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a retrospective review of 4303 patients (2719 males, mean age 60.3 ± 10.2 years) undergoing 64-slice CTCA for suspected or known coronary artery disease (CAD) at various academic institutions between 01/2006 and 09/2010. Collateral findings were recorded and scored as: non-significant (no signs of relevant pathology, not necessary to be reported), significant (clear signs of pathology, mandatory to be reported), or major (remarkable pathology, mandatory to be reported and further investigated).
  
  
  RESULTS
  We detected 6886 non-cardiac findings (1.6 non cardiac finding per patient). Considering all centers, only 865/4303 (20.1 %) patients were completely without any additional finding. Overall, 2095 (30.4 %) non-significant, 4486 (65.2 %) significant, and 305 (4.4 %) major findings were detected. Among major findings, primary lung cancer was reported in 21 cases. In every center, most prevalent significant findings were mediastinal lymph nodes >1 cm. In 256 patients, collateral findings were clinically more relevant than coexisting CAD and justified the symptoms of patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of significant and major collateral findings in CTCA is high. Radiologists should carefully evaluate the entire scan volume in each patient.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, DIBIMED, University of Palermo, Via del Vespro 127, 90100, Palermo, Italy. ludovicolagrutta@hotmail.it.
authors.forename: Ludovico
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: La Grutta
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.|Department of Radiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Malagò
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria, Parma, Italy.|Cardio-Vascular Imaging Unit, Giovanni XXIII Hospital, Monastier di Treviso, Italy.
authors.forename: Erica
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Maffei
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
authors.forename: Camilla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Barbiani
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pezzato
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria, Parma, Italy.|Cardio-Vascular Imaging Unit, Giovanni XXIII Hospital, Monastier di Treviso, Italy.
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Martini
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria, Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Arcadi
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria, Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Clemente
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Nico R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Mollet
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology and Cardiology, Azienda ASL, Carrara, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zuccarelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Gabriel P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Krestin
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, DIBIMED, University of Palermo, Via del Vespro 127, 90100, Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lagalla
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pozzi Mucelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.|Department of Radiology, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria, Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: Filippo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cademartiri
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, DIBIMED, University of Palermo, Via del Vespro 127, 90100, Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Midiri
mesh_terms: D017023:Coronary Angiography / Q000379:methods; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012042:Registries; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods
keywords: Collateral findings; Computed tomography coronary angiography; Coronary artery disease; Non-cardiac findings