الفهرس 
AnatomyOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) is a unique fat depot in the body in termsof the size of its adipocytes, biochemical composition, and metabolic activity.Given its anatomical proximity to the heart, it interacts locallywith the coronary arteries and the myocardium through paracrine or vasocrine pathways.Pericardial adipose tissue (PAT) volume is associated with cardiovascular risk factors, because PAT directly surrounds the coronary arteries and shares the blood supply with the coronary artery wall; it is hypothesized that the secretion of adipokines and pro-inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-6may lead to an acceleration of atherosclerosis.Clinically, epicardial fat can be objectively measured by multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT)which offers a novel opportunity to assess in vivo distribution of EAT in high resolution three-dimensional views as well as identification and characterization of atherosclerotic plaque components, detection of coronary artery stenosis in the same examination.