Intravascular assessment of coronary arteries in patients with cyanotic congenital heart disease

Julie B. Tarp, Maria D. Radu, Ole De Backer, Annette S. Jensen, David Celermajer, Keld Sorensen, Niels-Henrik Holstein-Rathlou, Thomas Engstrom, Lars Sondergaard

Abstract

Aims: Patients with cyanotic congenital heart disease (CCHD) have been suggested to develop less atherosclerosis than the general population. This study aimed to evaluate the extent of coronary atherosclerosis in patients with CCHD using intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS).

Methods and results: Fifteen patients with CCHD (women, 9; median age, 53 years) and 14 acyanotic controls (women, 6; median age, 53 years) were examined with IVUS-NIRS of the right coronary artery (RCA). The patients with CCHD presented with a larger RCA diameter than the controls (external elastic membrane diameter, 6.1 [4.8-6.7] vs. 4.7 [4.1-5.1] mm, respectively; p=0.01). No difference in area stenosis was found between the patients and the controls (15.8% [12.3-19.7] vs. 15.2% [9.5-18.8]; p=0.87). The presence of lipid by NIRS was noted in 43% of patients with CCHD and in 92% of the controls; however, no differences in total or max 4 mm lipid core burden index (LCBI) or in plasma lipid profile were found.

Conclusions: Patients with CCHD presented with larger coronary arteries than acyanotic controls. No difference in the degree of area stenosis in the coronary arteries was found between the cyanotic and acyanotic patients; however, a lower proportion of patients with CCHD showed a positive LCBI.
Original languageEnglish
JournalEuroIntervention
Volume14
Issue number17
Pages (from-to)1744-1750
ISSN1774-024X
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2019

Keywords

  • clinical research
  • intravascular ultrasound
  • miscellaneous
  • other imaging modalities

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