Sex comparison of diagnostic accuracy of 64-multidetector row coronary computed tomographic angiography: results from the multicenter ACCURACY trial.

Background: The diagnosis of coronary artery disease (CAD) in women remains a challenge, given their lower prevalence of obstructive disease and the suboptimal performance of traditional noninvasive tests (exercise electrocardiography and stress myocardial perfusion imaging). Coronary computed tomographic angiography (CTA) is a validated method for detection and exclusion of obstructive coronary artery stenosis.

Objective: We compared the diagnostic accuracy of coronary CTA between men and women without known CAD with the use of invasive coronary angiography (ICA) as the reference standard.

Methods: We prospectively evaluated 230 subjects with chest pain at 16 sites who were clinically referred for ICA. ICAs were evaluated for coronary stenosis according to quantitative coronary angiography.

Results: Subjects (136 men and 94 women; mean ± age, 57 ± 10 years) underwent both CTA and ICA. For a patient-based model for stenosis >50%, sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values in men versus women were 96%, 78%, 69%, 100% and 90%, 88%, 47%, 99%, respectively. Subgroup analyses were performed for age and lifestyle risk factors. For stenosis > 50% in patients < 55 years, specificity in men versus women was 88% versus 95%, whereas for patients > 55 years, specificity in men versus women was 68% versus 82% (P < 0.05).

Conclusions: Coronary CTA found comparable diagnostic accuracy for women in comparison with men for the detection of obstructive coronary stenosis at both thresholds of 50% and 70%.