Pliegue diagonal del lóbulo auricular (de Frank) y su relación con enfermedad coronaria

Abstract

A diagonal earlobe crease (ELC) should alert doctors to its association with coronary artery disease (CAD) (also known as ischemic heart disease or atherosclerotic heart disease), especially in asymptomatic patients or patients having non-traditional and traditional risk factors. Such abnormality may be interpreted as a skin marker for CAD and this sign may also be used for identifying groups at high cardiovascular risk and indicate when to begin prevention strategy measures. Other clinical signs (apart from ELC) may reflect arterial aging and atherosclerosis, regardless of traditional cardiovascular risk factors’ number, duration and/or scope. A finding of ELC should not replace a full medical history being compiled, complemented by the excellent detailed methods and physical and laboratory tests used today for providing a reliable diagnosis regarding coronary disease.