Prevalence of non-cardiac findings in a large series of patients undergoing cardiac multi-detector computed tomography scans

• Published in: International Journal of Cardiovascular Imaging 2009-06, Vol.25 (5), p.537-543
• Main Authors: Chia, Pow-Li, Kaw, Gregory, Wansaicheong, Gervais, Ho, Kheng-Thye
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Age Factors; Aged; Cardiac Imaging; Cardiology; Female; Heart Diseases - diagnostic imaging; Humans; Imaging; Incidental Findings; Liver Diseases - diagnostic imaging; Liver Diseases - epidemiology; Liver Diseases - etiology; Lung Diseases - diagnostic imaging; Lung Diseases - epidemiology; Lung Diseases - etiology; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Middle Aged; Original Paper; Predictive Value of Tests; Prevalence; Radiology; Registries; Retrospective Studies; Risk Factors; Singapore - epidemiology; Smoking - adverse effects; Tomography, X-Ray Computed
• ISSN: 1569-5794; 1573-0743; 1875-8312
• DOI: 10.1007/s10554-009-9455-0

The purpose of our study was to determine the prevalence of non-cardiac findings in a large series of patients undergoing contrast-enhanced cardiac multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) scans. Non-cardiac findings were classified according to the organ of involvement and level of significance. We retrospectively reviewed scans and reports of 1,061 patients performed between 1 April 2004 and 31 April 2006. Non-cardiac findings were considered significant if they warranted further radiological or clinical follow-up. A total of 103 non-cardiac findings were reported in 85 (8.0%) of the 1,061 patients. Of these lesions, 48 (46.7%) were significant and 55 (53.3%) were not. The significant lesions were found in 33 of the 1,061 patients (3.1%). Among the significant abnormalities, the three most common were pulmonary nodules (16.7%), emphysema (16.7%) and possible hepatic carcinomas (12.6%). Patients with non-cardiac findings were significantly older than those without (mean age 60 ± 6 years vs. 55 ± 8 years; P