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Identifying Coronary Artery Calcification on Non-gated Computed Tomography Scans
Published on: August 28, 2018
[Diagonal earlobe crease, a sign of coronary artery disease]
Sebastián B Lamot1, Gustavo G Lonegro, Marcos Hernández
1Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Insights
The diagonal earlobe crease may indicate coronary artery disease. This sign showed significant relation in patients aged 30-60, suggesting its clinical usefulness for cardiovascular risk assessment.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Dermatology
Context:
- A diagonal earlobe crease is a potential, yet unproven, indicator of coronary artery disease (CAD).
- Early identification of cardiovascular risk factors is crucial for preventative healthcare.
Purpose:
- To investigate the diagnostic utility of the diagonal earlobe crease as a marker for coronary artery disease.
- To determine the sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values of this sign in a clinical setting.
Summary:
- A study examined 104 patients (ages 30-80), with 49 diagnosed with CAD via coronary angiography and/or myocardial perfusion imaging.
- The diagonal earlobe crease demonstrated a sensitivity of 61.2% and specificity of 78.2% for CAD.
- A significant association was found between the crease and CAD, particularly in patients aged 30-60.
Impact:
- The diagonal earlobe crease may serve as a simple, non-invasive clinical sign for identifying individuals at risk of coronary artery disease.
- This finding could aid clinicians in risk stratification, especially in younger to middle-aged populations (30-60 years).
Abstract:
The diagonal earlobe crease is a sign theorically related to coronary artery disease. The purpose of this study was to prove the usefulness of this sign. A total of 104 patients were examined (ages 30 to 80) grouped by age and sex. Forty nine of them were diagnosed of having coronary artery disease by coronary angiography (a 70% obstruction of one of the major arteries), and/or myocardial perfusion imaging with Thallium 201 (fixed defects). The control group included 55 patients (asymptomatic with normal electrocardiogram). Data here obtained included sensitivity (61.2%), specificity (78 2%), positive predictive value (71.4%) and negative predictive value (69.3%). We found a significant relation between the presence of the diagonal earlobe crease and coronary artery disease. We consider it a sign that could prove useful in clinical practice, mainly among patients aged between 30 and 60.
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