Calcification of breast artery as detected by mammography: association with coronary and aortic calcification

Abstract

Background/aim: Coronary artery calcification (CAC) and aortic calcification (AC) are significant risk factors for coronary atherosclerosis. This study investigated how breast arterial calcification (BAC) detected from routine mammography correlates with coronary artery calcification and aortic calcification. Materials and methods: A total of 404 female patients above 40 years of age who, within a 6-month period, had undergone thoracic computed tomography and mammography for various reasons were screened retrospectively at our clinic. Mammographies were assessed for BAC and thoracic CT investigations were assessed for CAC and AC. Patients included in the study were scored as 0 (none), 1 (mild), 2 (moderate), or 3 (severe) depending on the number and shape of CAC, AC, and BAC lesions observed. Results: Four hundred and four females were enrolled in the study. While BAC was detected in 123 patients, no BAC was observed in the other 281 patients. In the BAC-positive patients, the rates of CAC (45.5% vs. 19.9%, P < 0.001) and AC (67.5% vs. 32.4%, P < 0.001) were notably higher than in the BAC-negative patients. In addition, multivariate regression analysis detected the presence of BAC as an independent variable for both CAC and AC. Conclusion: The presence of BAC appeared to be a significant risk factor for CAC and AC, and the BAC grade was considered an independent risk factor for CAC.

The association between incidentally found breast arterial calcification on routine screening mammography and the development of coronary artery disease and stroke: results of a 10-year prospective study

“…13 In addition to being correlated with CAC, BAC has been correlated with aortic calcification. 14 Furthermore, among 499 women aged 40 to 79 years, the presence of BAC was found to precede the development of CAC after 9 years, suggesting that BAC may serve as a marker for the development of coronary artery calcification. 15 Breast arterial calcification also has been correlated with increased serum markers of inflammation and vascular injury including high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, triglycerides, homocysteine, and increased low-density lipoprotein/high-density lipoprotein ratio.…”

Relationship between Arterial Calcifications on Mammograms and Cardiovascular Events: A Twenty-Three Year Follow-Up Retrospective Cohort Study

“…Mammography, reflecting the composition of a part of the human tissues, offers us the possibility to use this diagnostic platform to recognize another morphological finding of interest that is not usually recorded in mammographic reports, such as BAC. In addition, there are data which support a stronger association between BAC and cardiovascular mortality, compared to arterial calcification in other locations, such as aortic, splenic, internal and external iliac, detected by computed tomography [ 8 ]. Millions of women worldwide undergo a mammogram annually or biannually.…”

“…As some studies have shown, there is an association between the presence of BAC and renal disease [ 4 ], stroke [ 5 ], peripheral vascular disease, low bone mass, carotid artery narrowing and, mainly, coronary artery disease [ 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 ]. Several studies have shown a strong association between the presence of BAC and cardiovascular mortality [ 1 , 11 , 12 , 13 ].…”

The Present View of the Correlation of Breast Vascular Calcifications with Coronary Artery Calcifications

“…В работе A.I. Soylu et al [31] ВАС определялся с помощью маммографии с использованием шкалы классификации, определенной N. Loberant et al [32]: отсутствие сосудистых кальцинатов было классифицировано как 0 ст., незначительные точечные кальцинаты -как I ст., крупные зернистые кальцинаты по типу «трамвайных рельсов» или в виде кольца менее чем в трех сосудах -как II ст., крупные зернистые кальцинаты в трех сосудах и более -как III ст. (рис.…”