Single-slice epicardial fat area measurement: do we need to measure the total epicardial fat volume?

PURPOSE

The aim of this study was to assess a method for measuring epicardial fat volume (EFV) by means of a single-slice area measurement. We investigated the relation between a single-slice fat area measurement and total EFV.

METHODS AND METHODS

A series of 72 consecutive patients (ages 65 ± 11 years; 36 men) who had undergone cardiac computed tomography (CT) on a 64-slice multidetector scanner with prospective electrocardiographic triggering were retrospectively reviewed. Pixels in the pericardium with a density range from -230 to -30 Hounsfield units were considered fat, giving the per-slice epicardial fat area (EFA). The EFV was estimated by the summation of EFAs multiplied by the slice thickness. We investigated the relation between total EFV and each EFA.

RESULTS

EFAs measured at several anatomical landmarks-right pulmonary artery, origins of the left main coronary artery, right coronary artery, coronary sinus-all correlated with the EFV (r = 0.77-0.92). The EFA at the LMCA level was highly reproducible and showed an excellent correlation with the EFV (r = 0.92).

CONCLUSION

The EFA is significantly correlated with the EFV. The EFA is a simple, quick method for representing the time-consuming EFV, which has been used as a predictive indicator of cardiovascular diseases.