Background: Until now, there has been no study on the relationship between the calcification of the lower extremity arteries and significant coronary arterial disease (CAD). Objectives: To evaluate whether lower extremity calcium scores (LECS) are associated with CAD and whether this can predict multivessel-CAD in patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Patients and Methods: We retrospectively enrolled 103 PAD patients without cardiac symptoms or known CAD. All patients underwent cardiac computed tomography (CT) and lower extremity CT within 1 month and were categorized as nonsignificant CAD, single-CAD, or multivessel-CAD. The coronary calcium scores (CCS) were quantitatively measured according to the Agatston method and LECS were semi-quantitatively measured according to the presence of lower extremity calcification in the segment. The extent of CAD was evaluated according to the presence of ≥ 50% luminal diameter stenosis in the segment of CAD. Results: LECS in multivessel-CAD were significantly higher than those in nonsignificant CAD (10.0 ± 5.8 versus 4.0 ± 3.1, P < 0.001). LECS significantly correlated with CCS (r = 0.831, P < 0.001) and the extent of CAD (r = 0.631, P < 0.001). Multivariate regression analysis demonstrated LECS and log-transformed CCS were independent predictors for multivessel-CAD. In receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, the diagnostic performance of LECS was 0.807 (95% confidence interval = 0.724-0.891, P < 0.001) for predicting multivessel-CAD. Conclusion: Peripheral arterial calcification is significantly correlated with CAD extent in patients with PAD. Peripheral arterial calcification can be a useful marker for predicting multivessel-CAD. Keywords: Atherosclerosis; Coronary Artery Disease; Multidetector Computed Tomography; Peripheral Arterial Disease; Vascular Calcification

The loss of muscle mass in primary multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) has not been examined in previous studies. This study aimed to investigate that low pectoralis muscle index and characteristic CT features can help differentiate patients with primary MDR-TB from those with drug-sensitive tuberculosis (DS-TB). From 2010 to 2016, we retrospectively enrolled 90 patients with primary MDR-TB and 90 age- and sex-matched patients with primary DS-TB. The pectoralis muscle mass was quantitatively measured on axial CT images using density histogram analysis. The pectoralis muscle index (PMI) was defined as the pectoralis muscle mass divided by body mass index. We compared the PMI and characteristic CT features of pulmonary tuberculosis between the two groups. Low PMI, segmental to lobar consolidation, cavity in consolidation, cavitary nodule or mass, and bilateral involvement were more frequently observed in patients with MDR-TB than in those with DS-TB. In stepwise multivariate logistic regression analysis, low PMI (odds ratio, 2.776; 95% confidence interval, 1.450–5.314; p = 0.002), segmental or lobar consolidation (odds ratio, 3.123; 95% confidence interval, 1.629–5.987; p = 0.001), and cavitary nodule or mass (odds ratio, 2.790; 95% confidence interval, 1.348–5.176; p = 0.002) were significant factors for MDR-TB. Low pectoralis muscle index, segmental to lobar consolidation and cavitary nodule or mass can help differentiate primary MDR-TB from DS-TB.

Background and Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the utility and accuracy of dual-energy automatic plaque removal (DE-APR) in patients with symptomatic peripheral arterial disease (PAD) using digital subtraction angiography (DSA) as the reference standard. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 100 patients with PAD who underwent DE computed tomography angiography (DE-CTA) and DSA of the lower extremities. DE-CTA was used to generate APR subtracted images. In the three main arterial segments (aorto-iliac segment, femoro-popliteal segment, and below-the-knee segment), the presence or absence of hemodynamically significant stenosis (>50%) and calcification was assessed using the images. CTA data were analyzed using different imaging approaches (DE-standard reconstruction image (DE-SR), DE-APR maximum intensity projection image (APR), and DE-SR with APR). Results: For all segments evaluated, the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for detecting significant stenosis were 98.16%, 81.01%, and 89.58%, respectively, with DE-SR; 97.79%, 83.33%, and 90.56%, respectively, with APR; and 98.16%, 92.25%, and 95.20%, respectively, with DE-SR with APR. DE-SR with APR had greater accuracy than DE-SR or APR alone (p < 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively). When analyzed based on vascular wall calcification, the accuracy of DE-SR with APR remained greater than 90% regardless of calcification severity, whereas DE-SR showed a considerable reduction in accuracy in moderate to severe calcification. In the case of APR, the degree of vascular wall calcification did not significantly influence the accuracy in the aorto-iliac and femoro-popliteal segments. DE-SR with APR achieved significantly higher diagnostic accuracy for all lower extremity segments in evaluating hemodynamically significant stenosis in patients with symptomatic PAD and transcended the impact of vascular wall calcification compared with DE-SR. Conclusions: APR demonstrated favorable diagnostic performance in the aorto-iliac and femoro-popliteal segments, exhibiting good agreement with DSA even in cases of moderate to severe vascular wall calcification.

Background and Objectives: Traumatic vascular injuries of the head and neck pose significant treatment challenges due to the complex anatomy, diverse clinical presentation, and mostly emergent nature. Endovascular treatment increasingly complements traditional surgical approaches. This study aimed to report our 10-year experience in treating traumatic vascular injuries of the head and neck with endovascular therapy and to determine the effectiveness of endovascular treatment. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis of 21 patients treated for head and neck vascular injuries between May 2011 and April 2021 was performed. Patients’ medical histories, clinical presentations, imaging findings, treatment materials, and clinical outcomes were reviewed. Treatments included stenting, coil embolization, and other endovascular techniques focused on hemostasis and preservation of the parent vessel. Results: The most common injuries involved the internal maxillary artery branches (n = 11), followed by the common or internal carotid artery (n = 6), vertebral artery (n = 3), and others. Endovascular treatment achieved successful hemostasis in all but one case. In five of six carotid artery injuries and two of three vertebral artery injuries, we achieved successful hemostasis while preserving the parent vessel using covered and bare stents, respectively. Conclusions: Endovascular therapy might be a useful treatment modality for traumatic vascular injuries in the head and neck region, offering efficacy, safety, and a minimally invasive approach.