Correlation of Epicardial Fat Thickness and Severity of Coronary Plaque Lesion Using Echocardiography and Cardiac Multidetector Computed Tomograph.

Abdullah, Radwa Muhammad; Samei, Magdy Mohammad Abd Al; Mohammad, Mohammad Gouda; Mahmoud, Mohammad Ismael; Wageeh, Shaimaa

Background: Epicardial fat is considered a part of visceral fat depot; it surrounds the myocardium just underneath the visceral pericardium where it has close proximity to the coronaries. Researches proof that epicardial adipose tissue is biologically active and so it may have a significant role in the occurrence and severity of atherosclerotic CAD. Advances in cardiovascular imaging techniques make echocardiography and MDCT accurate enough to assess both epicardial fat thickness (EFT) and epicardial fat volume (EFV) respectively. Methods: One hundred participants were recruited in this cross-sectional study from January to December 2022. Patients were referred to Kobri El Kobba Military Hospital with suspected CAD for multi-slice CT angiography. Results: Patients were classified into two groups according to the results of the CT coronary angiography; group (I) with significant CAD, 82 cases and group (II) without significant CAD, 18 cases. We further divided the 82 patients in group I into 3 subgroups, Ia (multivessel disease or proximal LAD and proximal LCX lesions), Ib (two vessels disease) and Ic (single vessel disease other than proximal LAD and proximal LCX lesions). There was a statistically significant difference between group I and group II regarding BMI, HTN, DM, total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, triglycerides, LDL/HDL ratio, EF (%), RSWMA, Epicardial Fat volume (EFV) measured by MDCT and Epicardial fat thickness (EFT) measured by Echocardiography. There was no statistically significant difference between the subgroups Ia, Ib and Ic regarding EFT measured by Echocardiography. EFV measured by MDCT is the most statistically significant predictor for severe CAD or multi-vessel disease. Conclusion: Epicardial fat depot was significantly associated with plaque development and vulnerability where EFT and EFV showed high values and were closely related to CAD presence and severity.

EPICARDIAL adipose tissue; PERICARDIUM; STATISTICAL significance; CORONARY angiography; COMPUTED tomography

Zagazig University Medical Journal, 2025, Vol 31, p432

1110-1431

Academic Journal

10.21608/ZUMJ.2023.250813.3013