ORIGINAL ARTICLES  CARDIAC SECTION 

The Journal of Cardiovascular Surgery 2011 June;52(3):429-35

Copyright © 2011 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

lingua: Inglese

Multidetector computed tomographic coronary angiography as an alternative to conventional coronary angiography in non-coronary surgical patients

Nardi P. ¹, Pellegrino A. ¹, Romagnoli A. ², Mve Mvondo C. ¹, De Propris S. ¹, Sperandio M. ², Versaci F. ¹, Simonetti G. ², Chiariello L. ¹ ✉

¹ Department of Cardiac Surgery, Policlinico Tor Vergata, Tor Vergata University of Rome, Rome, Italy; ² Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Interventional Radiology, Policlinico Tor Vergata, Tor Vergata University of Rome, Rome, Italy

AIM: Aim of our study was to evaluate Multidetector 64-slice Spiral Computed Tomography (MSCT) as an alternative to traditional coronary angiography (CA) to detect concomitant coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients initially admitted for non-coronary surgical procedures.
METHODS: We have analyzed data of 380 consecutive patients operated from 2006 to 2008 initially admitted for aortic (N.=170) or mitral (N.=67) valve disease, ascending aorta aneurysm ± aortic valve disease (N.=99), and other (combined valve diseases, tumors; N.=44). These patients were submitted either to MSCT (Group CT, N.=112) or to CA (Group A, N.=268). Inclusion criteria to perform MSCT were no previous myocardial infarction or documented CAD, normal left ventricular function, sinus rhythm, less than 2-3 premature ventricular or atrial contractions /min.
RESULTS: In Group CT, CAD was definitively excluded in 95 patients (85%) and was detected in 17; 8 of those 17 patients were subsequently submitted to CA and coronary artery bypass surgery for significant CAD. As compared to those in Group A, patients in Group CT were younger (64±15 vs. 70±10 years, P<0.0001), had less hypertension (P=0.0001), chest pain (P<0.05), peripheral vascular disease (P<0.05). NYHA class, incidence of diabetes, smoking habit, family history of CAD were similar. The incidence of operative mortality, postoperative myocardial infarction was not significantly different in both Group CT (0%) and A (0.4%) (P=NS).
CONCLUSION: In selected cardiac surgical patients less invasive 64-slice MSCT can be with some limits an alternative to CA to rule out CAD, as confirmed by the absence of postoperative ischemic complications.