2Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Atatürk University; Erzurum-Turkey
Abstract
Objective: This study is important for the determination of branches and segments of the first atherosclerotic coronary artery. The objective was to examine the role of epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) volume in estimating the presence and localization of plaque of coronary arteries.
Materials and Methods: Our study is a retrospective study, consisting of 50 male (mean age: 45.5±12 yrs) and 58 female (mean age: 52.5±11.6 yrs). A total of 108 consecutive patients underwent coronary computerized tomography (CT) angiography. Each coronary artery segment was assessed for the presence of atherosclerotic plaque. According to the plaque-involved vessel, patients were grouped as without plaque; plaque-involved left anterior descending artery (LAD), right coronary artery (RCA), or circumflex artery (Cx); and mixed (two or more vessels).
Results: The differences in mean values between the two groups were compared using the independent samples t test. Mann-Whitney U test was used for the comparison of continuous variables among groups. While EAT volume was found to be higher in the group with plaque, the difference between the two groups was statistically significant (88.6±9.2 cm3, 67.4±7.2 cm3, respectively, p=0.001). EAT volume was 67.3±7.1 cm3 in the without plaque group, 97.7±22.8 cm3 in LAD, 79.7±10.1 cm3 in RCA, 70.7±8.9 cm3 in Cx, and 101.9±18.6 cm3 in mixed vessels. In the intragroup comparison, the EAT volume of plaque-involved LAD and mixed vessels was significantly higher than in the other groups. The EAT volume of plaque-involved RCA was significantly higher (p=0.015) than in plaque-involved Cx.
Conclusion: Increased EAT volume is directly proportional to the presence of coronary artery plaques, especially in LAD and with more than one artery.
2Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Atatürk University; Erzurum-Turkey
Amaç: Bu çalışmanın amacı, koroner arter plağının varlığını ve yerini tahmin etmede epikardiyal yağ doku hacminin rolünü incelemektir.
Yöntemler: Ardışık 108 hastaya koroner bilgisayarlı tomografi (BT) anjiyografi yapıldı. Her koroner arter segmenti, aterosklerotik plak varlığı ve lokalizasyonu açısından değerlendirildi. Plak bulunan damarlara göre hastalar plaksız, sol ön inen koroner aorta (SİA), sirkumfleks koroner arter (Cx), sağ koroner arter (SKA) ve birden fazla damar tutulumu olarak 5 gruba ayrıldı.
Bulgular: Epikardiyal yağ doku hacmi, plaklı grupta daha yüksek iken aradaki ilişki istatistiksel olarak anlamlı bulundu (sırasıyla, 88,6±9,2 cm3, 67,4±7,2 cm3, p=0,001). Epikardiyal yağ doku hacmi, plaksız grupta 67,3±7,1 cm3, LAD'de 97,7±22,8 cm3, RCA'da 79,7±10,1 cm3, Cx'te 70,7±8,9 cm3 ve birden çok damar tutulumlu grupta 101,9±18,6 cm3 idi. Grup içi karşılaştırmalarda, LDA ve birden çok damar tutulumunda epikardiyal yağ hacmi diğer gruplara göre yüksekti. RCA’da Cx’e göre epikardiyal yağ hacmi yüksekti (p=0,015).
Sonuç: Sonuç olarak, artmış epikardiyal yağ hacmi koroner arterdeki plağın varlığı ve lokalizasyonu hakkında özellikle LAD’de ve birden çok damarda doğrudan bilgi vermektedir.