[Roentgenologic diagnosis of coronary vessel calcinosis in patients over 65 years of age].
215 out-patients aged between 65 and 88 years (average age 70.3 years) were examined radiologically for coronary calcification. In 62.5% of the cases positive results were obtained with a prevalence of men over women. From the 134 patients with coronary calcification 81.5% had a pathological ECG and 32% of these showed evidence of transmural infarction. The combination of coronary calcification and chronic arterial hypertension was found in 68.5% of the patients. In our opinion radioscopy of the heart for the detection of coronary calcification is of particular diagnostic value, on account of its safety and simplicity, especially with elderly patients; all the more so since the otherwise usual diagnostic techniques such as ergometry and selective coronary angiography can, for reasons of age, only be performed in certain cases.