title: Pericardial fat volume is related to atherosclerotic plaque burden rather than to lesion severity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We sought to explore the relationship between pericardial fat volume (PFV) and both coronary atherosclerosis (CA) extent and severity using coronary artery calcium score (CAC), computed tomography coronary angiography (CTCA), and invasive coronary angiography in patients at high to intermediate likelihood of coronary artery disease (CAD).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients clinically referred to invasive angiography who underwent CTCA and CAC within 1 month before the procedure comprised the study population. PFV, CAC, atherosclerotic burden indexes [segment involvement score (SIS); segment stenosis score; three-vessel plaque; and any left main plaque], and the invasive angiography-derived CAD index were evaluated independently. A total of 75 patients were included in the study. PFV did not differ between patients with or without obstructive (stenosis >70%) CAD defined by invasive angiography (86.4 ± 31.7 vs. 77.1 ± 42.8 cm3, P = 0.34), although patients with obstructive CAD had significantly higher CAC scores [636.0 (IQR 229.5-1101.0) vs. 206.0 (IQR 0.0-675), P < 0.0001] than patients without obstructive CAD. Patients with extensive CA (SIS > 5) had significantly larger PFV (89.9 ± 33.9 vs. 58.7 ± 33.2 cm3, P = 0.003) than patients with non-extensive CA. Significant correlations were found between PFV and CAC (r = 0.49, P < 0.0001), and SIS (r = 0.46, P < 0.0001), whereas very weak correlations were observed between PFV and the CAD index (r = 0.27, P = 0.02), and between PFV and the body mass index (r = 0.33, P = 0.004).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The main finding of the present study was the identification of PFV as more closely related to atherosclerotic plaque burden rather than to lesion severity in patients referred to invasive coronary angiography.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Imaging, Diagnóstico Maipú, Av Maipú 1668, Vicente López (B1602ABQ), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Gaston A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Rodriguez-Granillo
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Imaging, Diagnóstico Maipú, Av Maipú 1668, Vicente López (B1602ABQ), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Carrascosa
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Imaging, Diagnóstico Maipú, Av Maipú 1668, Vicente López (B1602ABQ), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Deviggiano
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Imaging, Diagnóstico Maipú, Av Maipú 1668, Vicente López (B1602ABQ), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Capunay
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Imaging, Diagnóstico Maipú, Av Maipú 1668, Vicente López (B1602ABQ), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Macarena C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: De Zan
authors.affiliation: Department of Interventional Cardiology, Sanatorio Guemes, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Goldsmit
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Imaging, Diagnóstico Maipú, Av Maipú 1668, Vicente López (B1602ABQ), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Roxana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Campisi
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000886:Anthropometry; D015331:Cohort Studies; D000072226:Computed Tomography Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D017023:Coronary Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010496:Pericardium / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D058226:Plaque, Atherosclerotic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012737:Sex Factors
keywords: adipose tissue; angiography; atherosclerosis; calcium; computed tomography; stenosis