RESUMEN
Multispiral computed tomography (CT) of the heart with detection of coronary artery calcification as well as clinical examination, stress tests, single photon emission computer tomography at rest and during stress, and/or stress echocardiography were used in the study of 56 patients with and 26 without ischemic heart disease (mean age 58+/-1 and 55+/-1.5 years, respectively). In 44 patients multispiral CT was performed with intravenous contrast injection and 27 patients were subjected to coronary angiography. Specificity, sensitivity of multispiral CT for detection of hemodynamically significant (>50%) stenoses compared with angiography and for diagnosis of structural changes of the myocardium were 92, 90%, and 89, 91%, respectively. Calcium index was significantly higher in patients with than without ischemic heart disease (253+/-28 and 3+/-1.5 U, respectively) and could be a significant diagnostic criterion of ischemic heart disease.