Incidental visceral and renal artery stenosis in patients undergoing coronary angiography.

Purpose: The study aimed to examine the association between incidentally discovered mesenteric artery stenosis, renal artery stenosis (RAS) and coronary artery disease in patients undergoing coronary angiography.

Materials And Methods: We performed a prospective analysis of consecutive patients undergoing routine cardiac catheterisation. Abdominal aortograms in lateral and antero-posterior view were obtained to assess arterial stenosis of the coeliac axis, superior mesenteric artery and renal arteries. Significant arterial stenosis was defined as a narrowing of at least 50% compared with the normal artery. Demographic data and cardiovascular risk factors were analysed.

Results: The prevalence of visceral artery stenosis (VAS) was 63/450 (14%) including 48/450 (10.6%) cases of coeliac axis stenosis and 15/450 (3.3%) cases of superior mesenteric artery stenosis. Female sex (p = 0.01), older age (p = 0.03) and the presence of coronary artery disease (p = 0.05) were significant predictors for the presence of VAS in univariate analysis. The determinants for VAS in multivariate analysis were female sex and three-vessel coronary artery disease, while two- and three-vessel coronary artery disease was significant for RAS.

Conclusion: Screening for VAS and RAS in female patients older than 60 years with more than two diseased coronary segments could have a high diagnostic value.