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. 2021 Jan 12;10(2):256.
doi: 10.3390/jcm10020256.

Evaluation of Transthoracic Echocardiography in the Assessment of Atherosclerosis of the Left Main Coronary Artery: Comparison with Optical Frequency Domain Imaging (a Pilot Study)

Fabien Labombarda  1 , Vincent Roule  1 , Idir Rebouh  1 , Massimiliano Ruscica  2 , Gerald F Watts  3   4 , Cesare R Sirtori  2   5
Affiliations

Evaluation of Transthoracic Echocardiography in the Assessment of Atherosclerosis of the Left Main Coronary Artery: Comparison with Optical Frequency Domain Imaging (a Pilot Study)

Fabien Labombarda et al. J Clin Med. .

Abstract

Background: Risk stratification using non-invasive imaging of the coronary vessels is emerging as an optimal standard of care for patients with dyslipidemias. Of particular interest is the evaluation of the left main coronary artery (LMCA), where calcium deposition appears to be a predictor of cardiovascular events.

Methods: In coronary patients, we evaluated wall thickness and internal diameter of the LMCA examined by transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and compared these with findings obtained by optical frequency domain imaging (OFDI), this latter also used to evaluate calcium deposition.

Results: A significant positive correlation between TTE and OFDI for the anterior wall thickness (r = 0.41, p = 0.043) and internal diameter (r = 0.36, p = 0.048) of the LMCA was detected. Echocardiographic wall measurements were higher in patients with fibro-calcific plaques. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve showed that an anterior wall thickness of LMCA ≥ 1.4 mm was predictive of fibro-calcific plaque (area under the curve = 0.815 and p = 0.006), sensitivity and specificity being 76.9% and 80%, respectively (Youden's Index = 0.56).

Conclusions: Measurement of anterior wall thickness of the LMCA by TTE and OFDI appears to be closely correlated and may predict the presence of coronary calcification.

Keywords: atherosclerosis; echocardiography; left main coronary; optical frequency domain imaging.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
(A,B) LMCA measurements by optical frequency domain imaging (OFDI) and transthoracic echocardiography (TTE). LAD: left anterior descending, LMCA: left main coronary artery.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Correlation between anterior wall thickness and internal diameter of the LMCA measured by TTE. LMCA: left main coronary artery; TTE: trans thoracic echocardiogram.
Figure 3
Figure 3
(A) internal diameter of the LMCA measured by TTE in patients with and without fibro calcific plaques (4.6 ± 0.9 mm vs. 3.6 ± 0.7 mm, respectively); (B) anterior wall thickness of the LMCA measured by TTE in patients with and without fibro calcific plaques (1.6 ± 0.2 mm vs. 1.3 ± 0.2 mm, respectively); (C) ROC curves for predicting the presence of fibro-calcific plaques by TTE measurement of the anterior wall thickness of LMCA. LMCA: left main coronary artery; OFDI: optical frequency domain imaging; ROC: receiver operating characteristic; TTE: transthoracic echography.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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