FREQUENCY OF INCIDENTAL EXTRA-CARDIAC FINDINGS IN PATIENTS UNDERGOING MULTI SLICE COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHIC (MSCT) ANGIOGRAPHY FOR DETECTION OF CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the frequency of incidentalextra-cardiac findings on MSCTcoronary angiography.

Methodology: Patients undergoing MSCT angiography were included.Coronaries were interpreted with limited field of view (FOV) reconstructions.Reconstruction using larger FOV were used to examine and detect extra-cardiacincidental findings. All extra-cardiac structures were reviewed systematically.Patients were divided in two groups on basis of age, younger ≤ 50 years andelderly >50 years.

Results: Out of 307 patients included in the study,87 (28%) had extra-cardiacincidental findings. Patients in the older age group i.e., more than 50 years weresignificantly (p = 0.004) more likely to have incidental findings. Most commonfinding was pericardial fat pad. Most of the findings were not of clinicalsignificance. Only 2 pulmonary nodules were detected.

Conclusion: Extra-cardiac findings are commonly detected on MSCT cardiacscans especially in older patients with larger FOV reconstructions. Most of thefindings are of minor clinical significance, only few are important. Routinescreening of cardiac scans for extra-cardiac incidental findings is not mandatory.