Cor Vasa 2022, 64(1):15-19 | DOI: 10.33678/cor.2021.087

Earlobe crease relationship with coronary atherosclerotic burden and pericardial adiposity

Abdulameer A. Al-Mosawi^a, Yasir Salah Alam^b, Fallah Radhi^a, Rasha Al-Darraji^c, Hussein Nafakhi^b

^a Radiology Department, Medicine College, University of Kufa, Najaf, Iraq

^b Internal Medicine Department, Medicine College, Kufa University, Najaf, Iraq

^c Allergy and Asthma Center, Al-Sader Teaching Hospital, Najaf Health Bureau, Ministry of Health, Iraq

Background: There is still uncertainty or limited data regarding the relevance of earlobe crease (ELC) to coronary atherosclerosis burden and pericardial adiposity.

Objective: We aimed to assess the association between ELC with coronary atherosclerotic burden, including coronary artery calcium score (CAC), plaque presence, and coronary stenosis severity and pericardial fat volume (PFV) in patients with suspected coronary artery disease.

Methods: Seventy patients referred owing to clinical suspicion of coronary artery disease who underwent 64-slice coronary CT angiography, 33 of whom (47%) had ELC, were enrolled.

Results: ELC presence showed a significant independent association with increased CAC (OR [CI] = 3 [2-10], p <0.01), significant coronary stenosis (OR [CI] = 3 [2-8], p <0.01), and coronary plaque presence (OR [CI] = 4 [3.5-9], p <0.01) after adjustment for conventional coronary risk factors. ELC presence (p <0.01) was independently and significantly associated with increased PFV following adjustment for conventional coronary risk factors.

Conclusion: ELC is significantly and independently associated with coronary atherosclerotic burden and in- creased pericardial adiposity.

Keywords: Coronary atherosclerosis, CT angiography, Earlobe crease, Pericardial fat

Received: May 21, 2021; Revised: June 23, 2021; Accepted: July 11, 2021; Published: February 22, 2022  Show citation