The Degree of Stenosis on Cardiac Catheterization Compared to Calcified Coronary Segments on Multi-Detector Row Cardiac Computed Tomography MDCT

Rationale and Objectives Cardiac computed tomography is increasingly being used to assess the degree of stenosis in coronary arteries. It has been shown in multiple studies to have high negative predictive value for obstructive disease compared to invasive cardiac catheterization (ICA). However, calcified segments are interpreted differently in each study. The aim of this study was to examine the association of calcified plaques on multi–detector row cardiac computed tomography (MDCT) with the degree of stenosis on ICA. Materials and Methods A total of 129 consecutive patients who underwent coronary evaluation on MDCT and also underwent ICA within 1 month of MDCT were included in the study. Each segment in the coronary artery was classified as mixed, calcified, or noncalcified. All segments with calcified plaque were evaluated, further classifying them as mild, moderate, or severe, and obstructive disease on ICA was used as the reference standard, in a blinded fashion. Results The average age of the patients was 60.8 ± 9.5 years. A total of 379 calcified segments were included in the study. Among these segments, 363 (95.8%) were found to be nonobstructive (