Ilgar Mehtap, Dağ Nurullah, Türkoğlu Caner
Malatya Training and Research Hospital, Malatya, Turkey.
Pol J Radiol. 2023 Jul 21;88:e338-e342. doi: 10.5114/pjr.2023.130198. eCollection 2023.
The early diagnosis of coronary artery disease (CAD) enables early intervention for the modifiable risk factors of the disease. Coronary artery calcification (CAC) detected incidentally on standard noncontrast chest computed tomography (CT) provides an opportunity for the early diagnosis of CAD. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate that CAC should be routinely reported when evaluating thoracic CT examinations. Routine reporting of CAC will contribute to the early diagnosis of CAD.
The present study included 279 patients who underwent conventional coronary angiography (CAG) and CT within one month before undergoing CAG. The CAG and CT images of the patients were evaluated retrospectively. The levels of coronary artery stenosis were determined in reference to the CAG images. The CAC scores of the patients were calculated using the Weston method based on their chest CT images.
The mean age of the patients was 63.2 ± 11.5 (range, 41-93) years, and 172 (61.6%) of them were men. The Weston score (WS) was 0 in 18.9% of the patients with obstructive CAD (OCAD), whereas it was ≥ 7 in 27.9% of patients. All patients with a WS of ≥ 7 had OCAD. All patients without luminal stenosis or < 50% stenosis had a WS of < 7.
The CAC score is useful for the diagnosis of CAD and OCAD. If CAC is identified on standard noncontrast chest CT, it should be scored and reported accordingly. The WS can be used for CAC scoring.
冠状动脉疾病（CAD）的早期诊断有助于对该疾病的可改变危险因素进行早期干预。在标准非增强胸部计算机断层扫描（CT）中偶然检测到的冠状动脉钙化（CAC）为CAD的早期诊断提供了机会。本研究的目的是证明在评估胸部CT检查时应常规报告CAC。常规报告CAC将有助于CAD的早期诊断。
本研究纳入了279例在接受常规冠状动脉造影（CAG）前一个月内同时接受CAG和CT检查的患者。对患者的CAG和CT图像进行回顾性评估。参照CAG图像确定冠状动脉狭窄程度。根据患者的胸部CT图像，采用韦斯顿方法计算患者的CAC评分。
患者的平均年龄为63.2±11.5（范围41 - 93）岁，其中172例（61.6%）为男性。在有阻塞性CAD（OCAD）的患者中，18.9%的患者韦斯顿评分（WS）为0，而27.9%的患者WS≥7。所有WS≥7的患者均患有OCAD。所有无管腔狭窄或狭窄<50%的患者WS<7。
CAC评分对CAD和OCAD的诊断有用。如果在标准非增强胸部CT上发现CAC，应进行评分并相应报告。WS可用于CAC评分。
