Coronary artery disease and differential analysis of a valve calcium score by transthoracic echocardiography

Excerpt

Valvular calcification represents a form of atherosclerosis similar to that produced in the wall of the coronary arteries, so that the presence of mitral annular calcification (MAC), aortic valvular sclerosis and aortic root (AVRS) detected by transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) is associated with an increased risk for developing coronary artery disease (CAD). Coronary calcification and intracoronary lesions can be assessed by non-invasive coronary multidetector computed tomography (MDCT). The aim of this study was to determine whether a global valvular calcium score (GVCS) and/or partial (MAC and AVRS) assessed by TTE can predict critical values of calcium at the level of the coronary wall, the Agatston score (AS) and/or the presence of significant coronary lesions detected using MDCT. …