Assessment of pericardial fat volume and carotid intimal thickness as risk factors for developing coronary atherosclerosis using multi detector computed tomography

Abstract

he real visceral fat deposit of the heart is epicardial adipose tissue, which exists directly on the epicardial surface of the myocardium and is totally confined within the pericardial sac. Because the coronary arteries and their major branches are embedded in fat, a local contact between a metabolically active epicardial adipose tissue and the coronary vasculature was possible. Carotid artery increased intimal thickness is the initial step within the process of atherosclerosis which is a major causes of stroke, Myocardial infarction and other coronary and arterial diseases. It required accurate quantification of the degree of carotid atherosclerosis and accurate measurement regarding the site and depth. CAD is an enormous health problem and a leading cause of death worldwide. This retrospective study was carried out at Radio diagnosis department; in Shams University Hospitals (ASUH) during the period from January 2021 till June 2021 upon 30 patients; their age ranged from 37 to 78 years old with mean age of 60 years.