Unfavorable Outcome of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention for Coronary Heart Disease with Rare Severe Pericoronary Fat Stranding

Background: Pericoronary fat stranding (PCFS) is a novel noninvasive imaging sign of coronary inflammation, and has important implications for cardiovascular risk stratification, and the outcome of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for coronary heart disease patients with pericoronary fat stranding remains unknown. Aim: We report two rare cases of PCI-treated coronary heart disease patients with severe PCFS. Case Presentation: This is the first report of two rare cases of PCI for patients with coronary heart disease surrounded by severe PCFS. We demonstrated that the outcome in these cases is poor, and in-stent restenosis or occlusion occurs rapidly within 2- 6 months following PCI. However, Case 2 underwent coronary artery bypass grafting after the rapid occurrence of in-stent occlusion, and the bypass graft remained intact over the 5 years following coronary artery bypass grafting. Conclusion: Coronary artery bypass grafting rather than PCI may be appropriate for coronary heart disease patients with severe PCFS.

Relation between Epicardial Adipose Tissue Thickness Assessed by Multidetector Computed Tomography and Significance of Coronary Artery Disease

Objective: To evaluate the relation between epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) thickness and also pericoronary fat assessed by Multidetector Computed Tomography (MDCT) with both calcium score and significance of coronary artery disease. Background: Epicardial adipose tissue (the visceral fat of the heart present under the visceral layer of the pericardium) has the same origin of abdominal visceral fat, which is known to be strongly related to the development of coronary artery atherosclerosis. Multidetector CT (MDCT) provides an accurate and reproducible quantification of EAT due to its high spatial and temporal resolution. Patients and Methods: The current study included 70 patients with low-intermediate probability of coronary artery disease. All patients were subjected to 256 Multidetectors CT to assess EAT thickness, the mean thickness of the pericoronary fat surrounding the three coronary arteries and coronary calcium score. Also coronary CT angiography was done and patients were then divided into 3 groups according to significance of coronary atherosclerosis: Group 1: No atherosclerosis (20 patients), Group 2: Non obstructive atherosclerosis (luminal narrowing less than 50% in diameter) (25 patients), Group3: Obstructive atherosclerosis (luminal narrowing ≥ 50%) (25 patients). Results: The mean EAT thickness and the mean pericoronary fat thickness were significantly higher in patients with obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) with stenosis > 50% (group 3) compared to other groups with normal coronaries or non obstructive (CAD). ROC curve was used to define the best cut off value of the thickness of both EAT and pericoronary fat in predicting the obstructive CAD group which was ≥7.2 and 12.6 mm for epicardial and pericoronary fat respectively. Also there is a positive correlation between both epicardial adipose tissue and pericoronary fat thickness and the coronary calcium score. Conclusion: EAT thickness and pericoronary fat thickness can be used in predicting the significance of coronary artery disease.