Comparison of the diagnostic capabilities of noninvasive methods for early detection of coronary artery disease.

ABSTRACT

Early detection of coronary artery disease is one of the prerequisites for adequate and successful treatment of patients and because of that it is important to assess which diagnostic method in a certain time gives the most reliable data to define the optimal medical treatment. The study included 100 subjects. All subjects underwent the electrocardiogram, electrocardiographic stress test, ultrasound examination of the heart without a load, SPECT stress/rest myocardial perfusion scintigraphy and coronary angiography. Coronary angiography as an invasive method has been used as a gold standard with which are compared the results of conducted diagnostic noninvasive examinations, and determined their specificity and sensitivity. The results were statistically analyzed using the recipient operating curve-ROC. Discussed are the diagnostic features of each method and conclusions that brought complementary radiological and nuclear medical imaging can provide very important information about coronary heart disease before making a decision on coronary angiography.