BJR
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Callaway, M. P.
Right arrow Articles by Rees, M.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Callaway, M. P.
Right arrow Articles by Rees, M.

The British Journal of Radiology, Vol 70, Issue 834 572-574, Copyright © 1997 by British Institute of Radiology

ARTICLES

The incidence of coronary artery calcification on standard thoracic CT scans

MP Callaway, P Richards, P Goddard and M Rees
Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Bristol Royal Infirmary, UK.

Coronary artery calcification indicates the presence of atheromatous disease and can represent an area of severe stenosis. The absence of calcification does not correlate with the absence of coronary artery disease, but an incidental finding of calcification has important prognostic implications. The best method available at present is electron beam computed tomography (EBCT) but these are often dedicated units in specialist centres and currently this modality is not widely available in the UK. This is the first study to establish the age/sex frequency with which incidental coronary artery calcification is detected using standard CT scanning in a large population. The methods used are simple, reproducible and based on standard thoracic protocols. The presence of calcification is easily detected using readily available equipment. The reported incidence of calcification using EBCT, the most sensitive method available, was compared with standard CT detection rates. While standard CT underestimates the presence of calcification, the age/sex trends are very similar. Standard CT probably detects the most dense lesions, missing areas of mild calcification, recent studies having shown that these lesions are most likely to represent areas of stenosis. This study shows that, with very little change in current practice and on readily available equipment, it is possible to obtain important diagnostic information suggesting the presence of severe coronary artery disease.


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Am. J. Roentgenol.Home page
C. R. Becker, T. F. Jakobs, S. Aydemir, A. Becker, A. Knez, U. J. Schoepf, R. Bruening, R. Haberl, and M. F. Reiser
Helical and Single-Slice Conventional CT Versus Electron Beam CT for the Quantification of Coronary Artery Calcification
Am. J. Roentgenol., February 1, 2000; 174(2): 543 - 547.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
BJR DMFR IMAGING  ALL BIR JOURNALS 
Copyright © 1997 by the British Institute of Radiology.