Coronary Artery Plaque Assessment by MDCT & Its Correlation with Framingham Risk Score among Symptomatic Patients with Chest Pain

Abstract

SUMMARY F ramingham Risk Score (FRS) is an important tool for cardiovascular risk prediction. There is strong relationship between Framingham Risk Score coronary artery disease events. In our study we used coronary MDCT scan to evaluate 150 patients of which 72.7% males presented with symptoms suggestive of coronary artery disease (chest pain syndrome) to Kobry EL Kobba military hospital. All the study population were statin naïve. MDCT scan allowed to evaluate the number, site, volume, extent and density of coronary artery plaques, more over it allowed their classification according to the type of plaques (calcified, or non-calcified) and significance of stenosis. The aim of this work is to study the relationship between the cardiovascular risk as assessed by FRS and the extent of atherosclerotic affection among symptomatic patients with chest pain assessed by MDCT. We found that there is a strong relationship between Framingham risk Score & the coronary atherosclerotic plaque burden, that the subgroup with High FRS had higher plaque volume & more extensive atherosclerotic distribution evident by MDCT. Also the diabetic group found to have higher values of plaque volume & more extensive atherosclerotic distribution than the non-diabetic group. CT is not yet reliable tool for accurate characterization of plaque due to great variability in plaque characterization also it’s affection by contrast attenuation & reconstruction parameters.