Prognostic value of echocardiographic-derived calcium index in coronary artery disease diagnosed by 64-multidetector computed tomography

Echocardiographic calcification score in patients with low/intermediate cardiovascular risk

PURPOSE

Calcification of aortic valve and mitral annulus is associated with cardiovascular risk factors, morbidity and mortality. Assessment of cardiac calcification with echocardiography is feasible, however, only few structured scoring systems have been established so far with limited prognostic data. This study aimed to evaluate an echocardiographic calcification score (echo-CCS) in patients with low/intermediate cardiovascular risk.

METHODS

Digitally stored echocardiography studies of 151 patients (median age 64, 49.7% male) from February 2008 to December 2009 were retrospectively reviewed for calcifications of the aortic valve, aortic root, mitral annulus, papillary muscles and ventricular septum. A calcification score ranging from 0 to 5 was assigned to every patient and its relation to computed tomography calcium score, coronary stenosis and ESC SCORE was assessed. Follow-up data were collected from 149 patients (98.7%) with a median of 6.2 years. Logistic regression and Kaplan-Meier analysis were performed to assess the association of the echo-CCS with significant coronary artery disease (≥ 50% stenosis) and risk for cardiac events and all-cause mortality.

RESULTS

An association of the echo-CCS with the ESC SCORE (ρ = 0.5; p < 0.001) and a good correlation of the echo-CCS with the Agatston score (ρ = 0.73; p < 0.001) can be observed. Univariate regressions revealed that echo-CCS is a significant predictor for cardiac events [OR = 5.1 (CI: 1.7-15.0); p = 0.003], coronary intervention [OR = 2.8 (CI: 1.3-5.7); p = 0.006], hospitalisation for cardiac symptoms [OR = 2.0 (CI: 1.2-3.4); p = 0.007], all-cause mortality [OR = 2.6 (CI: 1.3-5.5); p = 0.01] and significant CAD [OR = 3.2 (CI: 1.9-5.4); p < 0.001].

CONCLUSIONS

We demonstrated the prevalence of an easily obtainable, radiation-free calcification score in patients with low/intermediate cardiovascular risk. The strong association with CT-calcium scoring may evoke its potential as an alternative method in CV risk assessment.

Valve Calcification in Aortic Stenosis: Etiology and Diagnostic Imaging Techniques

Aortic stenosis is the most common valvulopathy in the Western world. Its prevalence has increased significantly in recent years due to population aging; hence, up to 8% of westerners above the age of 84 now have severe aortic stenosis (Lindroos et al., 1993). This causes increased morbidity and mortality and therein lies the importance of adequate diagnosis and stratification of the degree of severity which allows planning the best therapeutic option in each case. Long understood as a passive age-related degenerative process, it is now considered a rather more complex entity involving mechanisms and factors similar to those of atherosclerosis (Stewart et al., 1997). In this review, we summarize the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the onset and progression of the disease and analyze the current role of cardiac imaging techniques for diagnosis.

Cardiac calcium score on 2D echo: correlations with cardiac and coronary calcium at multi-detector computed tomography

Background

To test the hypothesis that a semi-quantitative echocardiographic calcium score (eCS) significantly correlates with cardiac calcium measured by coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) and, secondarily, severe coronary artery calcifications and stenosis.

Methods

This is a retrospective, observational study, conducted in a tertiary centre. eCS was compared with CCTA scores of non-coronary cardiac calcium (nCACS), coronary cardiac calcium (CACS) and number of diseased coronary vessels, in 141 subjects without known coronary artery disease (CAD), who underwent both echocardiography and CCTA for clinical reasons.

Results

Age, prevalence of hypertension and all measures of calcium (eCS, nCACS and CACS) differed significantly between the no-CAD and CAD subgroups. eCS was positively correlated with nCACS (Spearman rho = 0.64, p < 0.0001), CACS (rho = 0.46, p < 0.01) and weakly with the number of diseased coronary vessels (rho = 0.28, p < 0.05). eCS and nCACS had similar area under the curve (AUC) for the prediction of severe CACS (≥400) (0.77, 95% CI 0.68-0.86 and 0.79, 95% CI 0.72-0.88) or obstructive CAD (0.63, 95% CI 0.54-0.72 and 0.63, 95% CI 0.55-0.73).

Conclusions

eCS, a calcium score easily obtainable during standard echocardiography, is moderately to strongly correlated with nCACS by CCTA. The full eCS score correlates with nCACS better than its single components. It correlates with CACS and predicts severe coronary calcification (CACS > 400), a known predictor of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The eCS also predicts obstructive CAD, incrementally to age and clinical variables, although for this purpose CACS remains the most accurate score.