[The coronary sulcus and ischemic cardiopathy: an independent association of risk factors].

BACKGROUND: Coronary sulcus of the auricular lobe has been related to the presence of ischemic cardiopathy although the nature of this relation has not been well defined. The aim of the present study was to determine whether there is a relation between the sulcus and the classical coronary risk factors, or whether the association between coronariopathy and sulcus is independent of such factors.

METHODS: Patients admitted into an intensive care unit (n = 222) were divided into two groups according to whether coronary sulcus was present and the following analysis were performed: 1) comparative study between the groups for the variables: age, sex, coronariopathy, hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, index of body mass, and tobacco habit. 2) logistic regression analysis used as a variable to study the existence of coronary sulcus and as independent factors the different coronary risk factors. 3) calculation of sensitivity and specificity of the coronary sulcus as a marker of ischemic cardiopathy.

RESULTS: In the comparison between groups the individuals with coronary sulcus had greater age, cholesterolemia, index of body mass, with greater frequency found in females with ischemic cardiopathy. In the logistic regression analysis the presence of coronary sulcus was only associated by order of statistical significance to the variables of age and the female sex. In this study, coronary sulcus was a sensitive (87.6%) although unspecific (41.2%) marker of coronariopathy.

CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of coronary sulcus increases with age, and is greater in patients with ischemic cardiopathy. This relation is independent of the classical coronary risk factors.