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Integrated non-invasive approach to atherosclerosis with cardiac CT and carotid ultrasound in patients with suspected coronary artery disease

  • CARDIAC RADIOLOGY
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Abstract

Objective

The aim of the study was to compare the atherosclerotic disease in the coronary and carotid arteries in patients who underwent non-invasive imaging for suspected stable coronary artery disease (CAD).

Materials and methods

107 patients (64 men, age 59 ± 12) with atypical chest pain underwent cardiac CT (CCT) and carotid ultrasound (US) on the same day. Severity (obstructive or not-obstructive disease), location, shape, and composition of atherosclerotic plaques in the two districts were evaluated.

Results

Patients presented normal coronary arteries in 36 % (n = 38), not-obstructive CAD in 36 % (n = 39), and obstructive CAD in 28 % (n = 30), while had normal carotid arteries in 53 % (n = 57), not-obstructive disease in 44 % (n = 47), and obstructive disease in 3 % (n = 3) (p < 0.05). The coronary plaques were located in 7 % at ostial sites, in 29 % at non-ostial sites, and in 64 % at both locations. The carotid plaques were located at the origin of the internal and external carotid arteries in 56 %, at the bifurcation in 20 %, and at both locations in 24 % (p < 0.05). Coronary plaques were calcified in 25 %, non-calcified in 19 %, and mixed in 56 %; carotid plaques were calcified in 8 %, non-calcified in 8 %, and mixed in 84 % of patients (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

Atherosclerotic disease presents different imaging findings in the coronary tree and in the carotid district with respect to lesion severity, position along the vessel course, and composition of plaque.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, DIBIMED, University of Palermo, Via del Vespro 127, 90100, Palermo, Italy

    Ludovico La Grutta, Marta Marasà, Patrizia Toia, Daniele Ajello, Domenico Albano, Emanuele Grassedonio, Massimo Galia, Giuseppe Caruso & Massimo Midiri

  2. Department of Radiology, Montreal Heart Institute/Universitè de Montreal, Montreal, Canada

    Erica Maffei & Filippo Cademartiri

  3. Department of Cardiology, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy

    Giuseppina Novo & Salvatore Novo

  4. Department of Radiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

    Filippo Cademartiri

Authors
  1. Ludovico La Grutta
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  2. Marta Marasà
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Correspondence to Ludovico La Grutta.

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Conflict of interest

None of the authors have potential conflict of interests or financial disclosures concerning the material of this study.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in this study were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments. This article does not contain any studies with animals performed by any of the authors.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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La Grutta, L., Marasà, M., Toia, P. et al. Integrated non-invasive approach to atherosclerosis with cardiac CT and carotid ultrasound in patients with suspected coronary artery disease. Radiol med 122, 16–21 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11547-016-0692-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11547-016-0692-8

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