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Updated: Aug 19, 2025

Identifying Coronary Artery Calcification on Non-gated Computed Tomography Scans
Published on: August 28, 2018
Abdominal aortic calcification volume (AACV) is a predictive factor for postoperative complications associated with
Akira Watanabe1, Norifumi Harimoto2, Kenichiro Araki1
1Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-39-22 Showa-machi, Maebashi, Gunma, 371-8511, Japan.
Purpose:
Curative surgical treatment of biliary tract cancer is highly invasive and involves postoperative complications. Abdominal aortic calcification is a parameter that is reportedly linked to systemic arteriosclerosis. We measured the abdominal aortic calcification volume (AACV), assessed the correlation between AACV and postoperative complications, and evaluated the clinical utility of AACV.
Methods:
We retrospectively evaluated 97 patients (ampullary carcinoma, n = 21; distal bile duct cancer, n = 43; hilar bile duct cancer, n = 33). We assessed the calcification volume of the abdominal aorta from the renal artery ramification to the common iliac artery bifurcation. The correlation between AACV, clinical factors, and postoperative complications was evaluated.
Results:
The average AACV was 5.02 cm3, and the median AACV was 3.74 (range 0-27.4) cm3. The AACV was significantly related to age (P = 0.009), Brinkman index (P = 0.007), and history of cardiovascular disease (P = 0.015). The AACV was strongly correlated with postoperative complications (P < 0.001) and Clavien-Dindo grade > III postoperative complications (P < 0.001). The AACV was also correlated with pancreatic fistula in pancreatectomy cases (P < 0.001). A multivariate analysis revealed that the AACV was an independent predictor of postoperative complications.
Conclusion:
The AACV was significantly associated with postoperative complications. The AACV could be used for the preoperative assessment of surgical risk.
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An X-ray, or radiograph, is a non-invasive method that uses ionizing radiation to take images of internal structures. It is mainly used in cardiac imaging to examine the heart, lungs, and major blood vessels, aiming to identify abnormalities in the heart's size, shape, and position, such as heart failure, congenital defects, and vascular...

