[Coronary calcinosis. State-of-the-art]

Abstract

Atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease are the main causes of disablement and mortality in most developed countries. Clinical studies showed the relationship between coronary calcinosis and atherosclerotic lesions, the calcinosis area accounting for roughly 1/5 of the atherosclerotic plaque area. Calcinosis is quantitatively characterized by the calcium score determined by multispiral and electron-beam computed tomography. High calcium score suggests an increased risk of cardiovascular complications. Their treatment awaits further assessment since a number of studies revealed differential effect of various medicines on coronary calcification.