OBJECTIVES: To study the clinical impact of a very high coronary artery calcium score (CAC >1000) in patients with no known coronary artery disease (CAD) and normal single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI). The secondary aim was to evaluate whether triple vessel disease would support the notion of balanced ischaemia as an underlying mechanism of false negative SPECT MPI in patients with very high CAC. BACKGROUND: No data exist on the clinical value of high CAC in patients with normal SPECT MPI. METHODS: 50 patients with suspected CAD and normal stress/rest SPECT MPI and CAC >1000 prospectively underwent invasive coronary angiography as the standard of reference. Coronary lesions with ≥50% luminal diameter narrowing on invasive coronary angiography were considered to represent significant stenosis. RESULTS: The median total CAC was 1975 (range 1018-8046). In 37/50 (74%) patients, coronary angiography revealed one-vessel disease (1-VD) (n=15), 2-VD (n=10) or 3-VD (n=12). Twenty-six revascularisations (percutaneous coronary intervention/coronary artery bypass grafting) were performed in seven (6/1), seven (6/1) and 12 (7/5) patients with 1-VD, 2-VD and 3-VD, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with normal SPECT MPI, a CAC >1000 confers a high diagnostic added value for detecting CAD. This is not solely based on unmasking balanced ischaemia due to epicardial 3-VD, as it occurred predominantly in patients with 1-VD and 2-VD.
OBJECTIVES: To study the clinical impact of a very high coronary artery calcium score (CAC >1000) in patients with no known coronary artery disease (CAD) and normal single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI). The secondary aim was to evaluate whether triple vessel disease would support the notion of balanced ischaemia as an underlying mechanism of false negative SPECT MPI in patients with very high CAC. BACKGROUND: No data exist on the clinical value of high CAC in patients with normal SPECT MPI. METHODS: 50 patients with suspected CAD and normal stress/rest SPECT MPI and CAC >1000 prospectively underwent invasive coronary angiography as the standard of reference. Coronary lesions with ≥50% luminal diameter narrowing on invasive coronary angiography were considered to represent significant stenosis. RESULTS: The median total CAC was 1975 (range 1018-8046). In 37/50 (74%) patients, coronary angiography revealed one-vessel disease (1-VD) (n=15), 2-VD (n=10) or 3-VD (n=12). Twenty-six revascularisations (percutaneous coronary intervention/coronary artery bypass grafting) were performed in seven (6/1), seven (6/1) and 12 (7/5) patients with 1-VD, 2-VD and 3-VD, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with normal SPECT MPI, a CAC >1000 confers a high diagnostic added value for detecting CAD. This is not solely based on unmasking balanced ischaemia due to epicardial 3-VD, as it occurred predominantly in patients with 1-VD and 2-VD.
Authors: Michael Fiechter; Jelena R Ghadri; Mathias Wolfrum; Silke M Kuest; Aju P Pazhenkottil; Rene N Nkoulou; Bernhard A Herzog; Cathérine Gebhard; Tobias A Fuchs; Oliver Gaemperli; Philipp A Kaufmann Journal: Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging Date: 2011-12-06 Impact factor: 9.236
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Authors: Mohamed Mouden; Jan Paul Ottervanger; Jorik R Timmer; Stoffer Reiffers; Ad H J Oostdijk; Siert Knollema; Pieter L Jager Journal: J Nucl Cardiol Date: 2013-12-07 Impact factor: 5.952
Authors: J Schaap; R M Kauling; S M Boekholdt; M C Post; J A Van der Heyden; T L de Kroon; B J W M Rensing; J F Verzijlbergen Journal: J Nucl Cardiol Date: 2012-02 Impact factor: 5.952
Authors: Shu Yokota; Jan Paul Ottervanger; Mohamed Mouden; Jorik R Timmer; Siert Knollema; Pieter L Jager Journal: J Nucl Cardiol Date: 2014-01-28 Impact factor: 5.952
Authors: Jeroen Schaap; Robert M Kauling; S Matthijs Boekholdt; Martijn C Post; Jan A Van der Heyden; Thom L de Kroon; H Wouter van Es; Benno J W M Rensing; J Fred Verzijlbergen Journal: Int J Cardiovasc Imaging Date: 2012-08-18 Impact factor: 2.357