Lack of correlation between coronary artery calcium and myocardial perfusion imaging
Rosman, Jonathan; Shapiro, Michael; Pandey, Anuragini; VanTosh, Andrew; Bergmann, Steven R
BACKGROUND:Coronary artery calcium (CAC) provides evidence of coronary atherosclerosis and has significant prognostic power. Although prior studies have documented a relationship between CAC and hemodynamically significant coronary artery stenosis, the results have not been conclusive. METHODS AND RESULTS/RESULTS:We evaluated 126 consecutive patients who underwent electron beam computed tomography CAC scoring by use of the Agatston method and stress myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) within 3 months of each other. The analysis revealed no correlation between absolute CAC score and age- and gender-adjusted CAC scores with MPI. Overall, 18% of patients had abnormal MPI results irrespective of their CAC. CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS:CAC scoring and stress MPI should be thus considered complementary approaches rather than exclusionary in the evaluation of the patient at risk for coronary artery disease.
PMID: 16750777
ISSN: 1071-3581
CID: 5515812