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Cardiac Calcium Scoring Soon To Be Available At The Schaumburg Imaging Center
Cardiac calcium scoring by multidetector CT has been shown to be accurate in the diagnosis of early coronary artery disease and also for determining disease severity when calcified plaquing is present. Normal coronary arteries do not contain calcified plaque. Computerized quantification of the amount of calcified plaquing within the coronary arteries can be used to determine a patient's risk factor for subsequent cardiac events. These studies are painless, do not require the administration of contrast media, and literally take only minutes to perform.
CT images utilized for calcium scoring in two different patients. The patient on the left has no visible coronary artery calcium. The patient on the right has extensive calcified plaquing (bright white material) within the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery.
Radiologists and cardiologists at Northwest Community Healthcare are working collaboratively in an effort to provide this service at the Schaumburg Imaging Center. We are currently evaluating only our Corporate Health patients. However, within the next several months, we anticipate offering cardiac calcium scoring as a routine examination. As this is not presently considered reimbursable by Medicare or the major insurance carriers, patients will be charged an upfront fee of $185 for this test.
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Calcium Score
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Presence Of Plaque
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0
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None
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1-10
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Minimal
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11-100
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Mild
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101-400
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Moderate
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Over 400
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Extensive
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Calcium Score
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Cardiac Event Risk
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0
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Very low
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1-10
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Low
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11-100
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Moderate
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101-400
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Moderate to high
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Over 400
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High
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The above tables correlate coronary artery calcium scores with the degree of plaque burden and the risk of subsequent cardiovascular events.
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Ultrasound Screening For Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm
Approximately 9,000 deaths per year in the United States are attributed to abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) formation, with the majority occurring in men aged 65 years and older. Based on a recent report (Fleming at al. Ann Intern Med. 2005; 142: 203-211), the U. S. Preventive Services Task Force is now recommending that men between the ages of 65 and 75 who smoke or once were smokers receive a one time ultrasound examination to screen for AAA.
The major risk factors for AAA formation include gender, smoking, age, and family history. A smoking history in particular is associated with a five-fold increase in the prevalence of AAA. Nearly 70% of men between 65 and 75 have a positive smoking history, defined by the study as a lifetime consumption of 100 or more cigarettes. AAA screening in this population group was projected to decrease AAA related mortality by 43%.
AAAs are an expansion of the abdominal aorta to 3 cm or more in diameter. On screening ultrasound examinations, they are seen in 4-9% of older men and 1% of women. Ultrasound evaluation for AAA is an inexpensive and both highly accurate and reliable tool, with a sensitivity of 95% and a specificity approaching 100%.
Transverse ultrasound image of an AAA in an asymptomatic 71-year-old male former smoker. The left and right images are identical, except that the aneurysm has been measured on the left (5.5 cm AP x 5.4 cm transverse).
Thanks to Dr. Vinay Singh for the information on ultrasound screening for AAA.
For more information about Northwest Radiology Associates, the services we provide, and how to contact individual radiologists, please visit our web site: northwestradiologyassociates.com
If you are reading a printed version of this newsletter and would like to receive future editions electronically, please contact: ckalbhen@northwestradiologyassociates.com
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