Abstract
The association between coronary artery disease (CAD) and thoracic aortic plaques has often been reported using transesophageal echocardiography. However, studies showing the association between CAD and abdominal aortic plaques are scarce. CMR can visualize plaques in both the thoracic and abdominal aortas. Using CMR, we investigated the associations of thoracic and abdominal aortic plaques with the presence and extent of coronary artery stenosis in 146 patients undergoing coronary angiography, of whom 108 had CAD. The prevalence of thoracic and abdominal aortic plaques was higher in patients with CAD than in those without CAD (73% and 94% vs. 32% and 79%, p < 0.025). Stepwise increases in the prevalence and extents of both thoracic and abdominal plaques were found depending on the number of stenotic coronary vessels. Plaque extent in the thoracic aorta correlated with the numbers of > 50% and > 25% stenotic coronary segments (rs = 0.30 and 0.41). Plaque extent in the abdominal aorta also correlated with the numbers of > 50% and > 25% stenotic segments (rs = 0.40 and 0.44). Notably, the total plaque extent in the aortas correlated best with the numbers of > 50% and > 25% stenotic coronary segments (rs = 0.41 and 0.49, p < 0.001), and this factor was found to be the best predictor for the presence of CAD by the receiver-operating-characteristics curve analysis. Thus, the total plaque extent in the aortas was found to be more closely associated with the presence and extent of coronary stenosis than the thoracic or abdominal aortic plaque extent.
Highlights
The association between coronary artery disease (CAD) and thoracic aortic plaques was often reported using transesophageal echocardiography
Using MRI, we investigated the associations of thoracic and abdominal aortic plaques with the presence and extent of coronary artery stenosis
Thoracic plaques were an independent factor for the presence of CAD, while abdominal plaques were not
Summary
The association between coronary artery disease (CAD) and thoracic aortic plaques was often reported using transesophageal echocardiography. An autopsy study reported plaques in abdominal aorta, but not in thoracic aorta, to be severe in patients with cardiac catastrophe, studies showing the association between CAD and abdominal plaques are scarce. MRI became a useful tool for non-invasively evaluating atherosclerotic plaques in both thoracic and abdominal aortas. Using MRI, we investigated the associations of thoracic and abdominal aortic plaques with the presence and extent of coronary artery stenosis. Plaque extents in thoracic and abdominal aortas were represented as the number of slices with plaque (plaque slice number) and the sum of scores of 9 slices (plaque extent score). The extent of coronary stenosis was represented as the number of >50% stenotic vessels and the numbers of >50% and >25% stenotic segments
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