Association between Aortic Arch Calcification Detected
on Plain Chest X-Ray and Myocardial Scarring Detected
on Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging
in Coronary Heart Disease Patients
Thanapon Nilmoje MD*, Jitladda Wasinrat MD**,
Ahthit Yindeengam BSc***, Rungroj Krittayaphong MD*
Affiliation :
* Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
** Division of Diagnostic Radiology, Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital,
Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
*** Department of Research Promotion, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
Background : Coronary heart disease requires advanced investigations. However, findings of fundamental investigations
are sometimes underused and/or neglected, such as plain chest X-ray (CXR) and electrocardiography (ECG). A previous
study found an association between aortic calcification and coronary artery disease, but there are no studies that have
investigated association between aortic arch calcification in CXR and coronary artery disease consequences, such as
myocardial viability (scarring).
Objective : To investigated association between aortic arch calcification detected on plain CXR and myocardial scarring
detected on cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI) in coronary heart disease patients
Material and Method: one hundred eighty-seven eligible patients aged ≥18 years and diagnosed as coronary heart disease
by CMRI at Siriraj Hospital between January 2008 and December 2014 study periods were enrolled. We retrospectively
reviewed aortic arch calcification from plain CXR, demographic data, hospitalization data, underlying disease, medications
used, and CMRI parameters.
Results : There was no significant association between aortic arch calcification from CXR and myocardial scar by CMRI.
Aortic arch calcification was detected in 86 (45.98%) and 78 (41.70%) of patients with and without myocardial scar by
CMRI (p = 0.981). There was no significant correlation between calcium grading and calcium thickness from CXR and the
presence or absence of myocardial scar by CMRI. Myocardial scar was detected in 52.2%, 47.8%, 51.4%, and 59.1% in
patients with calcium grade 0, 1, 2, and 3 respectively (p =0.751).
Conclusion : There was no association found between aortic arch calcification detected on plain CXR and myocardial
scarring detected on CMRI.
Keywords : Calcification, Aorta, Magnetic resonance imaging, Coronary heart disease
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