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Background: Atherosclerosis is a systemic disease. Many ischemic stroke patients may have concomitant coronary artery disease (CAD). Detection and treatment of preclinical CAD in stroke patients may improve long-term outcome and survival because CAD is a major cause of death during follow-up in stroke patients. However, association between coronary and cerebral artery atherosclerosis in stroke patients has not fully been investigated. This study aimed at examining the frequency and high-risk groups of CAD in ischemic stroke patients. Methods: Consecutive patients who were admitted due to acute ischemic stroke between July 2006 and June 2010 were prospectively enrolled in this study. A total of 1,304 patients who underwent MSCT coronary angiography and cerebral angiography were included in this study. By using 64-multislice computed tomography coronary angiography, we investigated the frequency of CAD and association between coronary and cerebral artery atherosclerosis in terms of location and burden (severity and extent) in stroke patients. We also sought to identify high-risk groups for CAD among stroke patients. Results: The frequency of significant (≥50%) CAD was 32.3% and the frequency of any degree of CAD was 70.1%. Diabetes mellitus, serum levels of total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglyceride, and significant stenosis of the extracranial carotid, intracranial vertebral and basilar arteries were independently associated with CAD. However, no association was found between CAD and significant stenosis of the anterior, middle and posterior cerebral arteries. The association between CAD and cerebral atherosclerosis was stronger with increased severity and extent of cerebral atherosclerosis. When compared to patients with <2 risk factors and without significant cerebral atherosclerosis, those with multiple (≥2) risk factors and atherosclerosis in both the carotid and the vertebrobasilar arteries had very high risks of CAD [odds ratio (OR) 8.36; 95% confidence interval (CI) 4.15-16.87]. The risk was also high in patients with multiple risk factors and atherosclerosis in either the carotid or the vertebrobasilar artery (OR 4.13; 95% CI 2.62-6.51), and in those with <2 risk factors but atherosclerosis in both the carotid and the vertebrobasilar arteries (OR 3.40; 95% CI 1.22-9.47). Conclusions: A substantial portion of stroke patients had preclinical CAD, and there was a clear relationship between coronary and cerebral artery atherosclerosis in terms of location and burden. The risk of CAD was particularly high in stroke patients with multiple risk factors and atherosclerosis of the carotid and/or vertebrobasilar arteries. Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coronary artery disease-reporting and data system (CAD-RADS) was recently developed to standardize CAD classifications and incorporate clinical management. We aimed to investigate the prognostic value and additional risk stratification benefits of CAD-RADS compared to coronary artery calcium scores (CACS) and CAD extent classifications in ischemic stroke patients without cardiac symptoms. From January 2013 to December 2014, 762 ischemic stroke patients with risk factors for CAD and without chest pain underwent coronary computed tomography angiography. CACS, CAD extent classification, and CAD-RADS scores were used to evaluate the computed tomography angiography images. The primary endpoint was major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs), which were defined as cardiovascular death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, unstable angina requiring hospitalization, and revascularization. During the mean follow-up period of 3.36 years, 67 MACEs were recorded. Of the 762 patients, 23.5% were classified as CAD-RADS 0, 19.7% as CAD-RADS 1, 18.2% as CAD-RADS 2, 18.6% as CAD-RADS 3, 15.4% as CAD-RADS 4A, 2.2% as CAD-RADS 4B, and 2.4% as CAD-RADS 5. CACS, CAD extent classification, and CAD-RADS scores independently stratified the risk of future MACEs (all p < 0.05). The C-statistics revealed that both CAD extent classification and CAD-RADS scores improved risk stratification beyond CACS (C-index: 0.767 vs. 0.715; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.026, 0.105), and 0.781 vs. 0.715; 95% CI 0.015, 0.086). In ischemic stroke patients without chest pain, CAD-RADS had prognostic value for future MACEs and better risk discrimination compared with CACS alone. Image 1 • Ischemic stroke patients have a substantial prevalence of coronary artery disease. • CAD-RADS has prognostic value for future MACEs in stroke patients. • CAD-RADS provides additional risk-prediction over CACS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The application of SYNTAX score II based on coronary CT angiography (CCTA) for selecting further treatment options has not been studied. This study aimed to investigate the diagnostic performance of CCTA combined with SYNTAX score II for selecting the revascularization method compared with invasive coronary angiography (ICA) based on 2014 European Society of Cardiology (ESC)/European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EACTS) guidelines.Methods: From January-May 2011, 160 patients who underwent both CCTA and ICA within 30 interval days were included. The diagnostic performance of CCTA, CCTA plus CT-SYNTAX score I and CT-SYNTAX score II was analysed using ICA counterparts as references.Results: Overall sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy of CCTA plus CT-SYNTAX I for selecting coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) candidates using ICA plus ICA-SYNTAX I as reference, were 70.6 %, 95.8 %, 66.7 %, 96.5 % and 93.1 %, respectively. The diagnostic performance of CCTA plus CT-SYNTAX II showed improvement with values of 83.3 %, 97.3 %, 71.4 %, 98.6 % and 96.3 %, respectively, using ICA plus ICA-SYNTAX II as reference.Conclusions: CCTA combined with CT-SYNTAX score II is an accurate method for selecting CABG surgery candidates compared with ICA-SYNTAX score II.Key Points: • SYNTAX plus CCTA can be highly specific for selecting the revascularization method. • SYNTAX II was complemented by including clinical considerations to SYNTAX I. • CCTA plus CT-SYNTAX II is an accurate method for selecting CABG candidates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To validate a method for performing myocardial segmentation based on coronary anatomy using coronary CT angiography (CCTA).Methods: Coronary artery-based myocardial segmentation (CAMS) was developed for use with CCTA. To validate and compare this method with the conventional American Heart Association (AHA) classification, a single coronary occlusion model was prepared and validated using six pigs. The unstained occluded coronary territories of the specimens and corresponding arterial territories from CAMS and AHA segmentations were compared using slice-by-slice matching and 100 virtual myocardial columns.Results: CAMS more precisely predicted ischaemic area than the AHA method, as indicated by 95% versus 76% (p < 0.001) of the percentage of matched columns (defined as percentage of matched columns of segmentation method divided by number of unstained columns in the specimen). According to the subgroup analyses, CAMS demonstrated a higher percentage of matched columns than the AHA method in the left anterior descending artery (100% vs. 77%; p < 0.001) and mid- (99% vs. 83%; p = 0.046) and apical-level territories of the left ventricle (90% vs. 52%; p = 0.011).Conclusions: CAMS is a feasible method for identifying the corresponding myocardial territories of the coronary arteries using CCTA.Key Points: • CAMS is a feasible method for identifying corresponding coronary territory using CTA • CAMS is more accurate in predicting coronary territory than the AHA method • The AHA method may underestimate the ischaemic territory of LAD stenosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: With the development of computed tomography (CT) technology, coronary CT angiography can be acquired with low doses of radiation and contrast agent without a loss of diagnostic performance. The primary objective of the CONCENTRATE study is to prove the noninferiority of the enhancement effect of low-concentration contrast agents compared to a high-concentration contrast agent of the coronary artery and myocardium with coronary CT angiography.Methods/design: The CONCENTRATE study is a prospective, multicenter, noninferiority, randomized trial evaluating the enhancement effect of low-concentration contrast agents (270 and 320 mg iodine/ml) compared with a high-concentration contrast agent (370 mg iodine/ml) in the coronary artery and myocardium of coronary artery CT angiography. The primary efficacy measurement is the enhancement of coronary arteries as measured in Hounsfield units. The target population comprises 318 patients with suspected coronary artery disease who have been referred for clinically indicated nonemergent coronary CT angiography. Eligible participants are randomized for three different concentrations of the contrast agent in a 1:1:1 allocation ratio to one of three arms. The CONCENTRATE trial is a double-blind study, where the subjects and the outcome assessor are blinded to the concentration of the contrast agent used for coronary the CT angiography. Eight clinical sites in Korea are participating in this trial.Discussion: The CONCENTRATE study will determine whether low-concentration contrast agents are able to provide diagnostic image quality in coronary CT angiography.Trial Registration: NCT02549794 . Registered on 14 September 2015. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective : The predictive value of coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) in stroke patients has not yet been established. We investigated the prognostic value of coronary artery disease (CAD) detection by CCTA, and determined the incremental risk stratification benefit of CCTA findings as compared to coronary artery calcium scores (CACS) in ischemic stroke patients without chest pain. Methods : Among 914 consecutive ischemic stroke patients, 317 (68.5% were male with a mean age of 64 years) who had at least one clinical risk factor for CAD without chest pain were prospectively enrolled to undergo CCTA. CT images were assessed for CAC, presence of CAD and extent of CAD. The primary endpoint was major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) defined as cardiac death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, unstable angina requiring hospitalization, or revascularization after 90 days from index CCTA. Results : The prevalence of CAC ≥1 was 73.1% (232/317) and the average CACS was 346.6 ± 693.5 (Agatston unit). During the median follow-up period of 409 days, there were a total of 26 MACEs. Both CACS [CAC (101–400, and >400)] and CCTA findings [presence of obstructive CAD, 1-vessel disease (VD), 2-VD, and 3-VD] independently stratified risk of future MACEs (all p < 0.05). The time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curve analysis revealed that CAD findings (presence of obstructive CAD and number of involved vessels) based on CCTA improved risk stratification beyond clinical risk factors and CACS (iAUC: 0.863 vs 0.752, p < 0.05). Conclusion : In ischemic stroke patients without chest pain, CCTA findings of CAD provide additional risk-discrimination over CACS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study was designed to determine the prognostic value of multidetector coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) in relation to exercise electrocardiography (XECG) findings. Background: The prognostic usefulness of coronary CTA findings of coronary artery disease in relation to XECG findings has not been explored systematically. Methods: Patients with suspected coronary artery disease who had undergone both coronary CTA and XECG (<90 days between tests) from 2003 through 2009 were enrolled retrospectively. Coronary CTA results were classified according to the severity of maximal stenosis (normal, mild: <40% of luminal stenosis, moderate: 40% to 69%, severe: ≥70%), XECG results were categorized as positive and negative, and Duke XECG score was calculated. Clinical follow-up data were collected for major adverse cardiac events (MACE): cardiac death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, unstable angina requiring hospitalization, and revascularization after 90 days from index coronary CTA. C-statistics were calculated to compare discriminatory values of each test. Results: Among the 2,977 (58 ± 10 years) study patients, 12% demonstrated positive XECG results. By coronary CTA, patients were categorized as normal (56%) or having mild (26%), moderate (13%), or severe (5%) disease. During a median follow-up of 3.3 years (interquartile range: 2.3 to 4.6), 97 MACE were observed and the 5-year cumulative event rate was 3.6% (95% confidence interval: 3.0 to 4.3). Although both XECG (C-statistic: 0.790) and coronary CTA (C-statistic: 0.908) improved risk stratification beyond clinical risk factors (C-statistic: 0.746, p < 0.05 for all), XECG in addition to coronary CTA (C-statistic: 0.907) did not provide better discrimination than coronary CTA alone (p = 0.389). In subgroup analyses, coronary CTA stratified risk of MACE in groups with both positive and negative XECG results (all p < 0.001 for trend). However, positive XECG results predicted risk of MACE on coronary CTA only in the moderate stenosis group (hazard ratio: 2.58, 95% confidence interval: 1.29 to 5.19, p = 0.008) and severe stenosis group (hazard ratio: 2.28, 95% confidence interval: 1.19 to 4.38, p = 0.013). Conclusions: In patients with suspected coronary artery disease, coronary CTA discriminates future risk of MACE in patients independent of XECG results. Compared with coronary CTA, XECG has an additive prognostic value only in patients with moderate to severe stenosis on coronary CTA. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The purposes of this study were to evaluate the right ventricular (RV) volume and mass using cardiac multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) and to compare the cardiac MDCT results with those from first-pass radionuclide angiography (FPRA). Twenty patients were evaluated for the RV end-diastolic volume (RVEDV), the RV end-systolic volume (RVESV), the RV ejection fraction (RVEF), and RV mass using cardiac MDCT with a two-phase reconstruction method based on ECG. The end-diastolic phase was reconstructed at the starting point of the QRS complex on ECG, and the end-systolic phase was reconstructed at the halfway point of the ascending T-wave on ECG. The RV mass was measured for the end-systole. The RVEF was also obtained by FPRA. The mean RVEF (47+/-7%) measured by cardiac MDCT was well correlated with that (44+/-6%) measured by FPRA (r=0.854). A significant difference in the mean RVEF was found between cardiac MDCT and FPRA (p=0.001), with an overestimation of 2.9+/-5.3% by cardiac MDCT versus FPRA. The interobserver variability was 4.4% for the RVEDV, 6.8% for the RVESV, and 7.9% for the RV mass, respectively. Cardiac MDCT is relatively simple and allows the RV volume and mass to be assessed, and the RVEF obtained by cardiac MDCT correlates well with that measured by FPRA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Automatic computer-assisted detection (auto-CAD) of significant coronary artery disease (CAD) in coronary computed tomography angiography (cCTA) has been shown to have relatively high accuracy. However, to date, scarce data are available regarding the performance of auto-CAD in the setting of acute chest pain. This study sought to demonstrate the feasibility of an auto-CAD algorithm for cCTA in patients presenting with acute chest pain. We retrospectively investigated 398 consecutive patients (229 male, mean age 50±21 years) who had acute chest pain and underwent cCTA between Apr 2007 and Jan 2011 in the emergency department (ED). All cCTA data were analyzed using an auto-CAD algorithm for the detection of >50% CAD on cCTA. The accuracy of auto-CAD was compared with the formal radiology report. In 380 of 398 patients (18 were excluded due to failure of data processing), per-patient analysis of auto-CAD revealed the following: sensitivity 94%, specificity 63%, positive predictive value (PPV) 76%, and negative predictive value (NPV) 89%. After the exclusion of 37 cases that were interpreted as invalid by the auto-CAD algorithm, the NPV was further increased up to 97%, considering the false-negative cases in the formal radiology report, and was confirmed by subsequent invasive angiogram during the index visit. We successfully demonstrated the high accuracy of an auto-CAD algorithm, compared with the formal radiology report, for the detection of >50% CAD on cCTA in the setting of acute chest pain. The auto-CAD algorithm can be used to facilitate the decision-making process in the ED. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]