The Significance of Coronary Calcification Detected by Fluoroscopy

Cardiac fluoroscopy to detect coronary calcification was performed on 360 patients before undergoing coronary arteriography for proven or suspected coronary artery disease. Among the 154 patients in whom coronary calcification was identified, 97% had significant coronary disease angiographically (≧ 70% stenosis). In this group, the distribution of one, two, and three vessel coronary disease was 9%, 25%, and 66% respectively. The prevalence of coronary calcification increased with age and severity of coronary disease, but no difference in males versus females was demonstrable. The angiographic severity of coronary disease increased with multiple vessel calcification; three vessel disease occurred in 45%, 66%, and 82% of patients with one, two, and three vessel calcification, respectively. Patients with hyperlipidemia or hypertension had no significant difference in the prevalence of coronary calcification. Among the 267 patients with significant coronary lesions, 56% had calcification detected by fluoroscopy. Five of the 93 patients with no significant coronary disease angiographically had coronary calcification fluoroscopically. Four of the five had a prior history of myocardial infarction, and two showed asynergy on left ventriculography. This study demonstrates that cardiac fluoroscopy is a valuable procedure for detecting significant coronary artery disease since this highly specific test is easily performed, inexpensive, noninvasive, and widely applicable for screening large patient populations.