Pulmonary Artery Dilatation Is a Common Finding in a Coronary Artery CT Angiography Population.

Background/aim: Dilatation of the main pulmonary artery (mPA) is a common incidental finding in chest imaging and often leads to consultation. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of mPA dilatation in a coronary artery CT angiography (CCTA) population.

Patients And Methods: The study investigated 985 consecutive patients scheduled for diagnostic CCTA. The transverse axial diameter of the mPA was measured. The prevalence of mPA dilatation was estimated using different reference values (Framingham Heart Study: 28.9 mm for males and 26.9 mm for females, Bozlar: 29.5 mm for both genders and Karazincir: 32.6 mm for males and 31.9 mm for females).

Results: The patient mean age was 53.0±9.7 years (66.5% were women). Body surface area (BSA) correlated moderately with the mPA diameter (r=0.423, p<0.001). The prevalence of mPA dilatation varied from 5.9% (Karazincir) to 33.7% (Framingham Heart Study) in the overall study population.

Conclusion: The prevalence of mPA dilatation is high in a CCTA patient population when using a cut-off value from the Framingham Heart Study.