Relationship between breast arterial calcification on mammography with coronary CT angiography findings

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Breast arterial calcification is a frequently benign finding on mammography that usually is not reported. An increasing attention has been formed to determine the association between breast arterial calcification (BAC) and Coronary artery disease. In the current study we have aimed to evaluate the relationship between BAC on mammography with coronary CT angiography findings.

METHODS: The case control study was carried out on 60 women; 30 CAD and 30 healthy subjects as control, admitted to Golestan hospital radiology department. The mammography was performed in two views; Craniocaudal (CC) view and mediolateral oblique (MLO) and BAC was graded based on the severity and extent of calcifications. Coronary Arterial Calcification (CAC) were scored by Agatston criteria.

RESULTS: Overly, 36 patients (60%) were positive for BAC. Twenty six out of them (72%) were CAD. There was a positive significant correlation between BAC and CAD. The sensitivity and specificity of BAC for CAD were 69% and 47%, respectively. Moreover, the severe BAC scores were significantly higher in CAD patients than non-CAD.

CONCLUSION: Our findings in line with several previous studies indicated the positive significant association between BAC and CAD occurrence. While the sensitivity and specificity of BAC in diagnosis of CAD is low, suggested the using of BAC just as a CAD risk factor. The relatively low sample size is the major limitation of the study.

Keywords

breast arterial calcification / CAD / angiography

References

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Acknowledgments

We wish to thank all our colleagues in Imam Khomeini Hospital, Ahvaz, Iran.

Compliance with ethical standards

The authors declared no conflict of interest. All procedures have been approved by the appropriate ethics committee and have therefore been performed in accordance with the ethical standards laid down in the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments. Informed consent was signed prior to participation in the study.

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