Coronary artery disease

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Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of mortality globally.

Clinical presentation

CAD is asymptomatic in most of the population. When severe enough it can cause angina, or an acute coronary syndrome including myocardial infarction. CAD may also present with heart failure or sudden cardiac death.

Pathology

CAD is primarily due to atherosclerosis, an inflammatory process that leads to atheroma development and remodelling/stenosis of the coronary arteries. A stenosis of >50% of diameter or >75% cross section diameter reduction can lead to angina. Thrombus formation after plaque disruption can lead to acute coronary syndrome ^1,2.

Indications

There are several appropriate clinical indications for the performance of coronary CT angiography: ⁸:

acute chest pain in patients with low to intermediate pretest probability of CAD
evaluation of coronary anatomy and bypass grafts
assessment of congenital heart diseases
coronary artery calcium scoring
patients with technically limited images form echo, TEE, or MRI

Risk factors

non-modifiable: family history, age, male sex ¹
modifiable: hypercholesterolaemia, left ventricular hypertrophy, obesity, hypertension, diabetes sedentary lifestyle, smoking, alcohol ¹

Radiographic features

There are a variety techniques to image coronary artery disease including both anatomical and functional modalities. Coronary angiography has been the mainstay for many years, but in certain patient groups is being replaced by non-invasive imaging such as coronary CT angiography (cCTA).

Haemodynamically significant stenoses are those >70% for all coronary arteries, except the left main coronary artery where >50% stenosis is considered significant ⁷.

-<p><strong>Coronary artery disease</strong> (<strong>CAD</strong>) is the leading cause of mortality globally. </p><h4>Clinical presentation</h4><p>CAD is asymptomatic in most of the population. When severe enough it can cause angina, or an <a href="/articles/acute-coronary-syndrome">acute coronary syndrome</a> including <a href="/articles/myocardial-infarction">myocardial infarction</a>. CAD may also present with <a href="/articles/heart-failure">heart failure</a> or sudden cardiac death. </p><h4>Pathology</h4><p>CAD is primarily due to <a href="/articles/arteriosclerosis">atherosclerosis</a>, an inflammatory process that leads to atheroma development and remodelling/stenosis of the <a href="/articles/coronary-arteries">coronary arteries</a>. A stenosis of >50% of diameter or >75% cross section diameter reduction can lead to angina. Thrombus formation after plaque disruption can lead to acute coronary syndrome <sup>1,2</sup>. </p><h4>Indications</h4><p>There are several appropriate clinical indications for the performance of coronary CT angiography: <sup>8</sup></p><ul>
+<p><strong>Coronary artery disease</strong> (<strong>CAD</strong>) is the leading cause of mortality globally. </p><h4>Clinical presentation</h4><p>CAD is asymptomatic in most of the population. When severe enough it can cause angina, or an <a href="/articles/acute-coronary-syndrome">acute coronary syndrome</a> including <a href="/articles/myocardial-infarction">myocardial infarction</a>. CAD may also present with <a href="/articles/heart-failure">heart failure</a> or sudden cardiac death. </p><h4>Pathology</h4><p>CAD is primarily due to <a href="/articles/arteriosclerosis">atherosclerosis</a>, an inflammatory process that leads to atheroma development and remodelling/stenosis of the <a href="/articles/coronary-arteries">coronary arteries</a>. A stenosis of >50% of diameter or >75% cross section diameter reduction can lead to angina. Thrombus formation after plaque disruption can lead to acute coronary syndrome <sup>1,2</sup>. </p><h4>Indications</h4><p>There are several appropriate clinical indications for the performance of coronary CT angiography <sup><span style="font-size:10.8333px; line-height:17.3333px">8</span></sup><span style="line-height:1.6">: </span></p><ul>

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