Prognostic outcome of routine clinical noninvasive multidetector-row computed tomography coronary angiography in patients with suspected coronary artery disease: a 2-year follow-up study

Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography / North American Society of Cardiovascular Imaging - Expert Consensus Document on Coronary CT Imaging of Atherosclerotic Plaque

Coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) provides a wealth of clinically meaningful information beyond anatomic stenosis alone, including the presence or absence of nonobstructive atherosclerosis and high-risk plaque features as precursors for incident coronary events. There is, however, no uniform agreement on how to identify and quantify these features or their use in evidence-based clinical decision-making. This statement from the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography and North American Society of Cardiovascular Imaging addresses this gap and provides a comprehensive review of the available evidence on imaging of coronary atherosclerosis. In this statement, we provide standardized definitions for high-risk plaque (HRP) features and distill the evidence on the effectiveness of risk stratification into usable practice points. This statement outlines how this information should be communicated to referring physicians and patients by identifying critical elements to include in a structured CCTA report - the presence and severity of atherosclerotic plaque (descriptive statements, CAD-RADS™ categories), the segment involvement score, HRP features (e.g., low attenuation plaque, positive remodeling), and the coronary artery calcium score (when performed). Rigorous documentation of atherosclerosis on CCTA provides a vital opportunity to make recommendations for preventive care and to initiate and guide an effective care strategy for at-risk patients.

Collateral non cardiac findings in clinical routine CT coronary angiography: results from a multi-center registry

PURPOSE

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.

MATERIALS AND 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.

Ischemic and non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy

Dilated Cardiomyopathy is a high-incident disease, which diagnosis of and treatments are clinical priority. The aim of our study was to evaluate the diagnostic potential of cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging; echocardiography and the biochemical parameters that can help us differentiate between the post-ischemic and non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy. Materials and methods. The study enrolled 134 patients with dilated cardiomyopathy: 74 with the post-ischemic form and 60 with the non-ischemic one. All patients underwent a coronary imaging test, with echocardiogram, cardiac magnetic resonance and a blood test. Pro-inflammatory cytokines were evaluated using Luminex kit. Data was compared between the two groups. Results. Echocardiography allowed recognition of Left Ventricular Non Compaction in 2 patients. Longitudinal and circumferential strains were significantly different in the two groups (p<0.05). Using CMR imaging a post-myocarditis scar was diagnosed in 2 patients and a post-ischemic scar in 95% of patients with the chronic ischemic disease. The interleukin IL-1, IL-6 and TNF-α levels were higher in the post-ischemic group compared with the non-ischemic one. Conclusions. The use of second level techniques with a high sensitivity and specificity would help distinguish among different sub-forms of dilated cardiomyopathy.

Assessing coronary disease in symptomatic women by the Morise score

BACKGROUND

Early identification of coronary artery disease (CAD) among symptomatic women is critical given their worse outcomes as compared to men. We evaluated the value of the Morise score, a simple clinical risk score, for the assessment for CAD as determined by computed tomography coronary angiography (CTCA) and compared it to the Diamond-Forrester risk assessment.

METHODS

One hundred forty women (mean age, 64±11 years) with chest pain syndromes and no known CAD referred for CTCA were analyzed. Patients were risk stratified for likelihood of CAD by Morise and Diamond-Forrester scores. The presence and degree of CAD were determined by CTCA and classified as normal, nonobstructive (<50% stenosis), or obstructive (>50% stenosis). Total coronary calcium was calculated based on Agatston scores.

RESULTS

When risk was assessed by Morise vs. Diamond-Forrester, 5% vs. 7% of women were stratified as low, 41% vs. 82% as intermediate, and 54% vs. 11% as high risk for CAD, respectively. CAD was present in 95 (68%) patients; 22 (16%) had obstructive CAD, and 73 (52%) had nonobstructive CAD. Morise scores significantly correlated with calcium scores (p<0.001) as well as the presence and degree of CAD (p<0.0001). Morise scores also demonstrated significantly higher accuracy (66% vs. 48%, p<0.005) and higher sensitivity (56% vs. 16%, p<0.001) but lower specificity (82% vs. 97%, p<0.05) when compared to Diamond-Forrester risk assessment.

CONCLUSIONS

The Morise score performed better than Diamond-Forrester for CAD risk assessment, which highlights the importance and power of a simple history and physical examination in determining women at risk for CAD.

Stress testing and non-invasive coronary angiography in patients with suspected coronary artery disease: time for a new paradigm

Diagnosis and management of coronary artery disease represents major challenges to our health care system, affecting millions of patients each year. Until recently, the diagnosis of coronary artery disease was possible only through cardiac catheterization and invasive coronary angiography. To avoid the risks of an invasive procedure, stress testing is often employed for an initial assessment of patients with suspected coronary artery disease, serving as a gatekeeper for cardiac catheterization. With the emergence of non-invasive coronary angiography, the question arises if such a strategy is still sensible, particularly, in view of only a modest agreement between stress testing results and the presence of coronary artery disease established by cardiac catheterization. Much data in support of the diagnostic accuracy and prognostic value of non-invasive coronary angiography by computed tomography have emerged within the last few years. These data challenge the role of stress testing as the initial imaging modality in patients with suspected coronary artery disease. This article reviews the clinical utility, limitations, as well as the hazards of stress testing compared with non-invasive coronary artery imaging by computed tomography. Finally, the implications of this review are discussed in relation to clinical practice.