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The heart of patients with aortic aneurysms: evidence from cardiac computed tomography

Paul Stolzmann1, Catherine Phan, Lotus Desbiolles

  • 1Institute of Diagnostic Radiology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. paul.stolzmann@usz.ch

Interactive Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery
|August 27, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Cardiac CT effectively assesses coronary artery disease and calcium burden in abdominal aortic aneurysm patients, offering insights beyond traditional risk scores.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Imaging
  • Radiology
  • Aortic Aneurysm Research

Background:

  • Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) patients often have coexisting coronary artery disease (CAD).
  • Assessing cardiovascular risk in AAA patients is crucial for management.
  • Traditional risk factors may not fully capture CAD prevalence in this population.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate coronary calcium burden and CAD prevalence in AAA patients.
  • To correlate these findings with cardiovascular risk factors.
  • To assess left ventricular (LV) function using cardiac computed tomography (CT).

Main Methods:

  • Sixty consecutive AAA patients underwent dual-source CT for calcium scoring and coronary angiography before AAA repair.
  • Framingham risk score (FRS) was calculated for all patients.
  • Cardiac CT assessed coronary calcium, stenoses, and LV function (ejection fraction).

Main Results:

  • 33% of patients had intermediate to high cardiovascular risk based on FRS.
  • Median Agatston score (AS) was 393; no significant correlation between AS and FRS.
  • 55% of patients had significant coronary stenoses; 8% showed reduced LV function.

Conclusions:

  • Cardiac CT is feasible for assessing coronary calcium, CAD, and LV function in AAA patients.
  • Coronary calcium burden and stenoses detected by CT provide information beyond traditional risk factors.
  • CT assessment aids in comprehensive cardiovascular risk evaluation for AAA patients.

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