Diagnostic and predictive value of coronary artery calcification in coronary artery stenosis

<p><strong>BACKGROUND:</strong> Early diagnosis of coronary artery diseases (CADs) may lead to more efficient treatments. Coronary artery calcification is considered as a valuable index in detecting CAD using a noninvasive technique. This study was conducted to determine the correlation between coronary artery calcification and coronary artery stenosis in patients with typical chest pain.</p><p><strong>METHODS:</strong> This cross-sectional study was conducted on 760 patients suffering from typical chest pain, in Chamran Hospital, Isfahan, Iran. The patients&nbsp; were all candidates for coronary angiography and were studied for the calcification of coronary artery by fluoroscopy. All patients signed a consent form after the whole procedures were fully explained to them. A fluoroscopic movie was taken from patients (after exposing, and before inserting the angiographic catheter), then the angiography was conducted using Judkins technique.&nbsp; The results of fluoroscopy and angiography were recorded by two cardiologists separately. The presence of any significant stenosis greater than 75% was considered as a sign of severe CAD. The data was analyzed by chi-square test.</p><p><strong>RESULTS:</strong> Abnormal angiogram was found in 402 patients (59.2%). Positive and negative predictive values for calcification were 81.8% and 26%, respectively. Positive and negative predictive values were respectively 87.1% and 63.4% in females, and 79.7% and 47.3% in males. The highest predictive value (100%) was seen in patients under 40 years old. Coronary calcification in patients with abnormal coronary angiogram was found to be 5.4 times greater than those with normal angiogram.&nbsp;</p><p><strong>CONCLUSION:</strong> Considering the high predictive value of coronary artery calcification in fluoroscopy, it can be used as a replacement for screening coronary involvement.</p><p><strong>Keywords:</strong> Calcification, Coronary Vessels, Coronary Disease, Diagnosis