Abstract

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to determine Syntax scores based on coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) and invasive coronary angiography (ICA) and to assess whether heavy coronary calcification significantly limits the CCTA evaluation and the impact of severe calcification on heart team’s treatment decision and procedural planning in patients with three-vessel coronary artery disease (CAD) with or without left main disease.

METHODS

SYNTAX III was a multicentre, international study that included patients with three-vessel CAD with or without left main disease. The heart teams were randomized to either assess coronary arteries with coronary CCTA or ICA. We stratified the patients based on the presence of at least 1 lesion with heavy calcification defined as arc of calcium >180° within the lesion using CCTA. Agreement on the anatomical SYNTAX score and treatment decision was compared between patients with and without heavy calcifications.

RESULTS

Overall, 222 patients with available CCTA and ICA were included in this trial subanalysis (104 with heavy calcification, 118 without heavy calcification). The mean difference in the anatomical SYNTAX score (CCTA derived—ICA derived) was lower in patients without heavy calcifications [mean (−1.96 SD; +1.96 SD) = 1.5 (−19.3; 22.4) vs 5.9 (−17.5; +29.3), P = 0.004]. The agreement on treatment decision did not differ between patients with (Cohen’s kappa 0.79) or without coronary calcifications (Cohen’s kappa 0.84). The agreement on the treatment planning did not differ between patients with (concordance 80.3%) or without coronary calcifications (concordance 82.8%).

CONCLUSIONS

An overall good correlation between CCTA- and ICA-derived Syntax score was found. The presence of heavy coronary calcification moderately influenced the agreement between CCTA and ICA on the anatomical SYNTAX score. However, agreement on the treatment decision and planning was high and irrespective of the presence of calcified lesions.

Details

Title
Impact of coronary calcification assessed by coronary CT angiography on treatment decision in patients with three-vessel CAD: insights from SYNTAX III trial
Author
Andreini, Daniele 1 ; Takahashi, Kuniaki 2 ; Mushtaq, Saima 1 ; Conte, Edoardo 1 ; Modolo, Rodrigo 2 ; Sonck, Jeroen 3 ; De Mey, Johan 4 ; Ravagnani, Paolo 1 ; Schoors, Danny 5 ; Maisano, Francesco 5 ; Kaufmann, Philipp 5 ; Lindeboom, Wietze 6 ; Marie-angele Morel 6 ; Doenst, Torsten 7 ; Teichgräber, Ulf 7 ; Pontone, Gianluca 1 ; Pompilio, Giulio 1 ; Bartorelli, Antonio 1 ; Onuma, Yoshinobu 8 ; Serruys, Patrick W 9 

 Department of Cardiovascular Imaging, Centro Cardiologico Monzino, IRCCS , Milan, Italy 
 Department of Cardiology, Amsterdam University Medical Center , Amsterdam, Netherlands 
 Cardiovascular Center Aalst, OLV Hospital , Aalst, Belgium 
 Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel, Vrije Universiteit Brussel , Brussel, Belgium 
 University of Zurich , Zurich, Switzerland 
 Cardialysis BV , Rotterdam, Netherlands 
 Jena University Hospital, Friedrich-Schiller-University of Jena , Jena, Germany 
 Thoraxcenter, Erasmus MC , Rotterdam, Netherlands 
 Department of Cardiology, Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals, Imperial College London , London, UK 
Pages
176-184
Publication year
2022
Publication date
Feb 2022
Publisher
Oxford Publishing Limited (England)
ISSN
15699293
e-ISSN
15699285
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
3191818267
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.