Coronary CT angiography (CCTA) is increasingly used for ischemic heart disease diagnosis. The rising number of CCTA tests has led to a significant increase in the number of finding unexpected incidental extracardiac diseases.
The increasing utilization of coronary computed tomography (CT) angiography (CCTA) to diagnose and triage patients with suspected or known ischemic heart disease has led to a parallel increase in the frequency of incidental findings in the coronaries (nonatherosclerotic), noncoronary cardiac structures and noncardiac structures. Studies have reported a prevalence of incidental findings on CCTA up to 40%. Most of these findings have no clinical relevance, but some have significant clinical implications in the care and prognosis of the patients. We sought to assess the frequency of incidental findings on CCTA scans in consecutive studies performed in the past 5 years.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
2,000
Reviewing coronary scans done in the past 5 years looking for findings other than atherosclerotic coronary artery disease.
Istishari Hospital
Amman, Jordan
Non atherosclerotic coronary disease
Findings other than coronary atherosclerotic disease: coronary bridge, coronary dissection, coronary embolism, and coronary fistula.
Time frame: BASELINE
Non coronary cardiac findings
Findings include valve calcifications, left atrial appendage thrombus, patent foramen ovale and septal defects, pericardial effusion, LV clots, cardiac tumors.
Time frame: BASELINE
Non cardiac findings
Non cardiac findings include: a. major vascular abnormalities in the aorta and the pulmonary arteries, b. pulmonary disease: masses, lymph nodes, granulomas, and pleural effusion, and c. non pulmonary findings in the diaphragm and the hepatobiliary tree.
Time frame: BASELINE
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