<s>
A	O
coronary	B-Algorithm
CT	I-Algorithm
calcium	I-Algorithm
scan	I-Algorithm
is	O
a	O
computed	O
tomography	O
(	O
CT	O
)	O
scan	O
of	O
the	O
heart	O
for	O
the	O
assessment	O
of	O
severity	O
of	O
coronary	O
artery	O
disease	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
severity	O
can	O
be	O
presented	O
as	O
an	O
Agatston	B-Algorithm
score	I-Algorithm
or	O
coronary	B-Algorithm
artery	I-Algorithm
calcium	I-Algorithm
(	O
CAC	O
)	O
score	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Obstructions	O
may	O
be	O
present	O
even	O
with	O
an	O
Agatston	B-Algorithm
score	I-Algorithm
of	O
zero	O
,	O
especially	O
in	O
younger	O
patients	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
typical	O
coronary	B-Algorithm
CT	I-Algorithm
calcium	I-Algorithm
scan	I-Algorithm
is	O
done	O
without	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
radiocontrast	B-Application
,	O
but	O
it	O
can	O
possibly	O
be	O
done	O
from	O
contrast-enhanced	O
images	O
as	O
well	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
in	O
coronary	B-Algorithm
CT	I-Algorithm
angiography	I-Algorithm
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
coronary	B-Algorithm
CT	I-Algorithm
angiography	I-Algorithm
(	O
CTA	O
)	O
is	O
superior	O
to	O
coronary	O
CT	O
calcium	O
scanning	O
in	O
determining	O
the	O
risk	O
of	O
Major	O
Adverse	O
Cardiac	O
Events	O
(	O
MACE	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Agatston	B-Algorithm
score	I-Algorithm
,	O
named	O
after	O
its	O
developer	O
Arthur	O
Agatston	O
,	O
is	O
a	O
measure	O
of	O
calcium	O
on	O
a	O
coronary	B-Algorithm
CT	I-Algorithm
calcium	I-Algorithm
scan	I-Algorithm
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
calcium	O
score	O
of	O
every	O
calcification	O
in	O
each	O
coronary	O
artery	O
for	O
all	O
of	O
the	O
tomographic	O
slices	O
is	O
then	O
summed	O
up	O
to	O
give	O
the	O
total	O
coronary	B-Algorithm
artery	I-Algorithm
calcium	I-Algorithm
score	O
(	O
CAC	O
score	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Agatston	B-Algorithm
score	I-Algorithm
is	O
frequently	O
used	O
today	O
because	O
of	O
its	O
long	O
history	O
of	O
clinical	O
validation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Several	O
variations	O
of	O
the	O
Agatston	B-Algorithm
score	I-Algorithm
have	O
been	O
described	O
,	O
including	O
mass-based	O
calcium	O
scoring	O
,	O
volume-based	O
calcium	O
scoring	O
,	O
or	O
lesion-specific	O
calcium-scoring	O
have	O
been	O
developed	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
lesion-specific	B-Algorithm
calcium	I-Algorithm
score	I-Algorithm
has	O
been	O
developed	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Research	O
has	O
shown	O
that	O
the	O
lesion-specific	O
calcium	O
scoring	O
method	O
is	O
superior	O
to	O
the	O
traditional	O
Agatston	B-Algorithm
score	I-Algorithm
for	O
the	O
prediction	O
of	O
significant	O
blockages	O
in	O
the	O
heart	O
.	O
</s>
