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Background: This study aimed to evaluate whether the coronary artery calcium score (CACS) measured with computed tomography coronary angiography (CTCA) predicts periprocedural myocardial infarction (PMI) in patients undergoing an elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)., Patients and Methods: A total of 197 patients with stable angina underwent elective PCI after CTCA. We evaluated CACS using CTCA and assessed the clinical risk factors for PMI. PMI was defined as an elevation of troponin I levels exceeding five times the upper limit of normal within 24 h after PCI. Patients were followed up for major adverse cardiovascular events for a median of 4.6 years., Results: The prevalence of PMI was 18.7% (37 patients) and patients with PMI showed a trend toward a higher CACS (721±779 vs. 498±842, P=0.142). The prevalence of PMI showed a positive correlation with the CACS distribution [8.0%, first interquartile range (IQR); 14.3%, second IQR; 22.4%, third IQR; 30.6%, fourth IQR; P=0.002]. The CACS cut-off value for PMI was greater than 113 (area under the curve: 0.670; 95% confidence interval: 0.600-0.736; P<0.001). Patients with CACS greater than 113 before PCI showed a higher prevalence of PMI (26.2 vs. 5.6%, odds ratio: 5.994; P<0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that CACS greater than 113 was the main predictor for PMI (odds ratio: 3.61, 95% confidence interval: 1.145-11.363; P=0.028). In this study, the cumulative incidence of major adverse cardiovascular event was higher in patients with PMI (54.1 vs. 10.6%; P<0.001)., Conclusion: This study suggests that high CACS measured with CTCA influences the occurrence of PMI, which is associated with worse cardiovascular outcomes.

Background: During fractional flow reserve (FFR) measurements, distal coronary pressure (Pd) can be influenced by hydrostatic pressure changes resulting from the height difference (HD) between the coronary ostium and the location of the distal pressure sensor. Aims: We investigated the effect of aortocoronary HD on the FFR measurements in each coronary artery. Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, we analyzed 257 patients who underwent FFR measurements and coronary computed tomography (CCTA) within a year. Using CCTA, we measured HD as the vertical distance between the coronary ostium and a matched point of the distal coronary pressure sensor identified on coronary angiography. Results: The location of the Pd sensor was higher than the coronary ostium in the left anterior descending artery (LAD) (-4.64 ± 1.15 cm) and lower than the coronary ostium in the left circumflex artery (LCX) (2.54 ± 1.05 cm) and right coronary artery (RCA) (2.03 ± 1.28 cm). The corrected FFR values by HD were higher in the LAD (0.78 ± 0.09 to 0.82 ± 0.09, P<0.01) and lower in the LCX and RCA than the original FFR values (0.87 ± 0.07 to 0.85 ± 0.08, P<0.01; 0.87 ± 0.10 to 0.86 ± 0.10, P<0.01, respectively). Using an FFR cut-off value of 0.8, the concordance rates between the FFR and corrected FFR values were 77.8%, 95.2%, and 100% in the LAD, LCX, and RCA, respectively. Conclusion: HD between the coronary ostium and the distal coronary pressure sensor may affect FFR measurements and FFR-guided treatment decisions for coronary artery disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 76-year-old woman underwent coronary angiography for chest pain. On the coronary angiogram, no significant coronary artery atherosclerotic stenosis was observed. Multiple coronary artery microfistulas, draining from the left anterior descending artery to the left ventricle and from the posterior descending artery of the right coronary artery to the left ventricle, were observed. Apical wall thickening and fistula flow from the left anterior descending artery were demonstrated by using transthoracic echocardiography. We describe a rare case of multiple coronary artery microfistulas from the left and right coronary artery to the left ventricle combined with apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]