Improved detection of left main coronary artery disease with attenuation-corrected SPECT

BACKGROUND: Myocardial perfusion imaging has demonstrated a limited sensitivity as a means of accurately identifying left main (LM) coronary disease. Because regional quantitative perfusion biases are eliminated with attenuation corrected (AC) single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), as compared with uncorrected (NC) SPECT, we hypothesized that AC SPECT would demonstrate increased diagnostic accuracy for the detection of significant LM coronary stenosis. METHODS AND RESULTS: We studied 28 patients (23 men, 5 women; mean age, 66+/-9 years) with significant LM stenoses (> or =50%) and 34 control patients (27 men, 7 women; mean age, 65+/-11 years) with 2-vessel coronary disease. Rest thallium-201 and stress technetium 99m sestamibi SPECT imaging with and without AC were performed, as described earlier. Both AC and NC images were analyzed visually and quantitatively in comparison with corresponding normal databases. A greater sensitivity for detection of an LM defect pattern (64% vs. 7%, P = .0009) with equivalent specificity (94% vs. 100%, P = not significant) was demonstrated by means of visual analysis of AC SPECT images. More disease was demonstrated in a greater number of territories with AC SPECT images than with NC images (2.14+/-0.97 for AC images vs. 1.43+/-0.84 for NC images, P = .0001). Similar improvement in the detection of LM disease was shown by means of automated quantitative analysis (57% for AC SPECT vs 14% for NC SPECT, P = .0005), again with no loss in specificity. CONCLUSIONS: AC SPECT with the University of Michigan method in consecutive patients with LM stenoses and a select control population with severity matched multivessel coronary disease significantly improved the diagnostic accuracy of myocardial perfusion imaging for the identification of LM coronary disease, compared with uncorrected SPECT.     

合并多支血管病变的无保护左主干的介入治疗

目的：分析合并多支血管病变的无保护左主干（ULMCA）患者接受冠脉介入治疗（PCI）的近期安全性及有效性。方法：整理、总结我院自2002—04～2007—08所行的29例合并多支血管病变的ULMCA患者的支架植入术,分析其病变特征、手术成功率及随访结果。结果：即刻手术成功率达100％。25例（86．2％）术后1个月随访,主要心脏事件发生率为0％。结论：对于心功能正常、低危的左主干病变患者,PCI治疗是安全有效的。     

Specific perfusion pattern in stress 201Tl myocardial scintigraphy of left main coronary artery disease

The usefulness of stress 201Tl myocardial scintigraphy for identifying left main coronary artery disease was evaluated with data from 23 patients with 50% or more narrowing of the left main coronary artery and 56 patients with 75% or more narrowing of the major coronary arteries but without left main coronary artery involvement (no left main coronary artery disease). Quantitative evaluation of stress perfusion scintigrams in all five patients with narrowing of the left main coronary artery of 90% or more showed a characteristic perfusion pattern (left main pattern) of extensive homogeneous defect over the whole anterolateral segment and simultaneous defects in all radii of the high anteroseptal and high posterolateral segments. On the other hand, such a perfusion pattern was noted in only 1 of 18 patients with less than 90% stenosis of the left main coronary artery and in only 1 of 56 patients with no left main coronary artery disease.     

Specific perfusion pattern in stress 201Tl myocardial scintigraphy of left main coronary artery disease

The usefulness of stress ²⁰¹Tl myocardial scintigraphy for identifying left main coronary artery disease was evaluated with data from 23 patients with 50% or more narrowing of the left main coronary artery and 56 patients with 75% or more narrowing of the major coronary arteries but without left main coronary artery involvement (no left main coronary artery disease). Quantitiative evaluation of stress perfusion scintigrams in all five patients with narrowing of the left main coronary artery of 99% or more showed a characteristic perfusion pattern (left main pattern) of extensive homogeneous defect over the whole anterolateral segment and simultaneous defects in all radii of the high anteroseptal and high posterolateral segments. On the other hand, such a perfusion pattern was noted in only 1 of 18 patients with less than 90% stenosis of the left main coronary artery and in only 1 of 56 patients with no left main coronary artery disease     

Impact of Non-obstructive left main disease on the progression of coronary artery disease: A PARADIGM substudy

BackgroundThe aim of the study is examine the impact of non-obstructive (<50%stenosis) left main (LM) disease on the natural history of coronary artery disease using serial coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA).MethodsCTAs from the PARADIGM (Progression of atherosclerotic plaque determined by computed tomographic angiography imaging) study, a prospective multinational registry of patients who underwent serial CTA at a ≥2 year interval were analyzed. Those without evidence of CAD on their baseline scan were excluded, as were those with obstructive left main disease. Coronary artery vessels and their branches underwent quantification of: plaque volume and composition; diameter stenosis; presence of high-risk plaque.ResultsOf 944 (62 ± 9 years, 60% male) who had evidence of CAD at baseline, 444 (47%) had LM disease. Those with LM disease had a higher baseline plaque volume (194.8 ± 221mm3 versus 72.9 ± 84.3mm3, p < 0.001) and a higher prevalence of high-risk plaque (17.5% versus 13%, p < 0.001) than those without LM disease. On multivariable general linear model, patients with LM disease had greater annual rates of progression of total (26.5 ± 31.4mm3/yr versus 14.9 ± 20.1mm3/yr, p < 0.001) and calcified plaque volume (17 ± 24mm3/yr versus 7 ± 11mm3/yr, p < 0.001), with no difference in fibrous, fibrofatty or necrotic core plaque components.ConclusionThe presence of non-obstructive LM disease is associated with greater rates of plaque progression and a higher prevalence of high-risk plaque throughout the entire coronary artery tree compared to CAD without LM involvement. Our data suggests that non-obstructive LM disease may be a marker for an aggressive phenotype of CAD that may benefit from more intensive treatment strategies.     

Indications for coronary arteriography and left ventriculography in coronary heart disease (author's transl)]

Coronary- and LV-angiography in coronary heart disease are indicated I) to clarify whether or not surgery is required (e.g. aorto-coronary-bypass operation, aneurysmectomy) in 1) drug resistent angina pectoris, 2) myocardial aneurysms (or the suspicion of), 3) VSD following myocardial infarction and/or 4) as preoperative investigations in mitral regurgitation or 5) other valve lesions. II) These investigations are furthermore indicated in the under-50-yr.-old considering their prognosis and diagnosis 1) following myocardial infarction 2) to clarify a pathological exercise test with or without angina pectoris 3) in the differential diagnosis of myocardial diseases and 4) occasionally in patients with a number of risk factors or exposed to particular occupational hazards or from families with a high incidence of early deaths from heart disease. Coronary- and LV-angiography are contraindicated in 1) generalized stenosing atherosclerosis, 2) acute myocardial infarction, 3) failure from other organ-systems (e.g. kidney), 4) drug resistent endogenous risk factors and/or relevant obesity, 5) biological age over 60-65.6) continued nicotine dependence. In many cases the specific diagnostic investigations will include the assessment of coronary flow at rest and during maximal drug induced coronary dilatation. This enables us to estimate the coronary reserve and to diagnose coronary insufficiency in patients with normal coronary angiograms.- Instructive morphological and/or functional results illustrate this presentation.     

经桡、股动脉途径行无保护左主干病变介入治疗的对比研究

目的 比较经桡动脉途径(TRA)、经股动脉途径(TFA)行无保护左主干(ULMCA)病变经皮冠状动脉介入术(PCI)的安全性、可行性及临床疗效.方法 纳入沈阳军区总医院2007年1月—2008年12月行ULMCA病变PCI的286例患者进行同顾性分析,其中,TRA 144例(TRA组),TFA 142例(TFA组).比...     

左冠脉主干开口病变介入治疗1例

冠状动脉介入治疗开展以来．左冠脉主干开口病变由于解剖的特殊性,病变又常伴钙化．且富含弹性纤维,被公认属于高危复杂病变,其介入治疗具有较高风险。随着药物洗脱支架的出现和不断完善．支架置入技术的改良和进步,目前经皮冠状动脉介入治疗（percutaneous transluminal coronary intervention．PCI）被广泛应用于冠脉开口病变的治疗。     

Coronary arteriography as an aid in left atrial myxoma diagnosis

In two cases of left atrial myxoma, coronary arteriography was helpful in the diagnosis because the angiogram showed “true” tumor vascularity, which differs from neovascularization seen in an organized thrombus. One patient had a small, highly vascular tumor in which echocardiography was not diagnostic. Coronary arteriography may be an important diagnostic aid for delineating intracardiac myxomas.     

经桡动脉途径无保护冠状动脉左主干分叉病变介入治疗

 目的 探讨经桡动脉途径PCI在无保护左主干分叉病变中治疗的可行性和疗效.方法 回顾性分析我院无保护左主干分叉病变择期行PCI的患者22例,21例置入药物洗脱支架,单支架置入7例,双支架置入14例,14例置入双支架的患者均成功进行对吻球囊扩张,1例系支架术后再狭窄,单纯行切割球囊成形术.术后每15 d或1个月门诊复查1次,3～9个月行冠状动脉造影复查.结果 22例PCI均取得成功,术后达TIMI 3级血流,住院期间主要不良心脏事件1例(4.55%),冠状动脉造影复查显示支架内再狭窄2例(10.53%),1例再次行PCI术.术后平均随访(16.86±6.90)个月,随访期内死亡1例.结论 经桡动脉径路无保护左主干分叉病变PCI即刻成功率高,有较好的近、中期疗效.     

Diagnostic performance of computed tomography coronary angiography to detect and exclude left main and/or three-vessel coronary artery disease

Objectives

To determine the diagnostic performance of CT coronary angiography (CTCA) in detecting and excluding left main (LM) and/or three-vessel CAD (“high-risk” CAD) in symptomatic patients and to compare its discriminatory value with the Duke risk score and calcium score.

Materials and methods

Between 2004 and 2011, a total of 1,159 symptomatic patients (61?±?11 years, 31 % women) with stable angina, without prior revascularisation underwent both invasive coronary angiography (ICA) and CTCA. All patients gave written informed consent for the additional CTCA. High-risk CAD was defined as LM and/or three-vessel obstructive CAD (≥50 % diameter stenosis).

Results

A total of 197 (17 %) patients had high-risk CAD as determined by ICA. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, positive and negative likelihood ratios of CTCA were 95 % (95 % CI 91–97 %), 83 % (80–85 %), 53 % (48–58 %), 99 % (98–99 %), 5.47 and 0.06, respectively. CTCA provided incremental value (AUC 0.90, P?<?0.001) in the discrimination of high-risk CAD compared with the Duke risk score and calcium score.

Conclusions

CTCA accurately excludes high-risk CAD in symptomatic patients. The detection of high-risk CAD is suboptimal owing to the high percentage (47 %) of overestimation of high-risk CAD. CTCA provides incremental value in the discrimination of high-risk CAD compared with the Duke risk score and calcium score.

Key Points

? Computed tomography coronary angiography (CTCA) accurately excludes high-risk coronary artery disease. ? CTCA overestimates high-risk coronary artery disease in 47?%. ? CTCA discriminates high-risk CAD better than clinical evaluation and coronary calcification.     

A rare case of congenital atresia of the left main coronary artery

Congenital atresia of the left main coronary artery is a rare coronary anomaly, in which the left coronary ostium is absent and the blood supply to the entire heart is provided by the right coronary artery. We show the images of the coronary CT angiography performed by a 56-year-old man, with evidence of this vascular abnormality. Coronary CT Angiography has gained a major role in coronary anomalies assessment, thank to high spatial and temporal resolution.