Comparison of Non-Invasive and Invasive Diagnostic Methods for Coronary Artery Disease: Single-Centre Data

<i>Background and Objectives:</i> Coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) is widely used in the diagnostic evaluation of suspected stable coronary artery disease; however, its agreement with invasive coronary angiography (ICA) remains inconsistent across different levels of analysis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the agreement between CCTA and ICA and to identify the factors associated with discrepancies. <i>Materials and Methods:</i> A single-centre retrospective analysis of 500 patients was performed. All patients underwent CCTA within one year prior to ICA. Coronary stenoses were evaluated at the 11-segment coronary artery, vessel, and patient levels using a ≥50% cut-off. Diagnostic agreement was assessed using the kappa coefficient, while diagnostic performance was evaluated in terms of sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value. Factors associated with discrepancies were evaluated using a logistic regression model. <i>Results:</i> At the segment level, agreement between CCTA and ICA was low to moderate across 11 coronary segments (κ = 0.108-0.461). At the patient level, CCTA identified ≥50% coronary stenosis more frequently than ICA (86.2% vs. 59.4%, <i>p</i> < 0.001), demonstrating high sensitivity (91.3%) but low specificity (21.2%). Diagnostic discrepancies were associated with higher coronary calcium burden, and in multivariable analysis, body mass index > 25 kg/m<sup>2</sup>, age < 68 years, and multiple comorbidities were independently associated with discordant findings. <i>Conclusions:</i> At the patient level, CCTA demonstrates high sensitivity and represents an appropriate non-invasive method for patient selection for further diagnostic evaluation. However, agreement between CCTA and invasive coronary angiography remains limited at the segment and vessel levels. Diagnostic discrepancies were significantly associated with coronary artery calcification and higher body mass index (BMI), which should be taken into consideration when interpreting CCTA findings.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Medicina
Published
2026-02-27
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina62030452
Primary Topic
Cardiac Imaging and Diagnostics
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Comparison of Non-Invasive and Invasive Diagnostic Methods for Coronary Artery Disease: Single-Centre Data

Mindaugas Barauskas, Martynas Jurėnas, Gerda Falkauskaitė, Tautvydas Fabijonavičius et al.
Medicina
Cardiac Imaging and Diagnostics
article

Comparison of Non-Invasive and Invasive Diagnostic Methods for Coronary Artery Disease: Single-Centre Data

Mindaugas Barauskas, Martynas Jurėnas, Gerda Falkauskaitė, Tautvydas Fabijonavičius, Ramūnas Unikas, Lina Gastilavičiūtė
article en

Abstract

<i>Background and Objectives:</i> Coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) is widely used in the diagnostic evaluation of suspected stable coronary artery disease; however, its agreement with invasive coronary angiography (ICA) remains inconsistent across different levels of analysis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the agreement between CCTA and ICA and to identify the factors associated with discrepancies. <i>Materials and Methods:</i> A single-centre retrospective analysis of 500 patients was performed. All patients underwent CCTA within one year prior to ICA. Coronary stenoses were evaluated at the 11-segment coronary artery, vessel, and patient levels using a ≥50% cut-off. Diagnostic agreement was assessed using the kappa coefficient, while diagnostic performance was evaluated in terms of sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value. Factors associated with discrepancies were evaluated using a logistic regression model. <i>Results:</i> At the segment level, agreement between CCTA and ICA was low to moderate across 11 coronary segments (κ = 0.108-0.461). At the patient level, CCTA identified ≥50% coronary stenosis more frequently than ICA (86.2% vs. 59.4%, <i>p</i> < 0.001), demonstrating high sensitivity (91.3%) but low specificity (21.2%). Diagnostic discrepancies were associated with higher coronary calcium burden, and in multivariable analysis, body mass index > 25 kg/m<sup>2</sup>, age < 68 years, and multiple comorbidities were independently associated with discordant findings. <i>Conclusions:</i> At the patient level, CCTA demonstrates high sensitivity and represents an appropriate non-invasive method for patient selection for further diagnostic evaluation. However, agreement between CCTA and invasive coronary angiography remains limited at the segment and vessel levels. Diagnostic discrepancies were significantly associated with coronary artery calcification and higher body mass index (BMI), which should be taken into consideration when interpreting CCTA findings.

MedicinaVol. 62(3)
Lithuanian University of Health Sciences (LT), Hospital of Lithuanian University of Health Sciences Kaunas Clinics (LT)
Good health and well-being
Openalex Percentile: Top 42%
Cardiac Imaging and Diagnostics
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.