Significance of Coronary Artery Calcium Found on Non-Electrocardiogram-Gated Computed Tomography During Pre-Operative Evaluation for Liver Transplant

Guidelines to evaluate patients for coronary artery disease (CAD) during pre-operative evaluation for orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) are conflicting. Cardiac catheterization is not without risk in patients with end-stage liver disease. No study to date has looked at the utility of non-electrocardiogram (ECG)-gated chest computed tomography (CT) in the pre-liver transplant population. Our hypothesis was that coronary artery calcium scores (CACS) from chest CT scans ordered during the liver transplant workup, can identify patients who would benefit from invasive angiography.
Source: The American Journal of Cardiology - Category: Cardiology Authors: Source Type: research