Simultaneous measurement of coronary flow reserve by left anterior descending coronary artery Doppler and great cardiac vein thermodilution methods.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to compare left anterior descending coronary artery Doppler blood flow velocity and great cardiac vein thermodilution blood flow measurements of coronary flow reserve and submaximal coronary vasodilation in humans.


BACKGROUND
Reported maximal coronary flow reserve values obtained with the coronary venous thermodilution method are lower than those obtained with other measurement methods.


METHODS
Thermodilution measurements of great cardiac vein flow in 11 subjects were compared with simultaneous Doppler measurements of changes in left anterior descending coronary flow velocity after intracoronary administration of papaverine, nitroglycerin, iohexol and intravenous administration of dipyridamole.


RESULTS
Coronary flow reserve (papaverine peak/rest flow ratio) was 3.7 +/- 1.7 (mean +/- SD) by the Doppler method and 2.0 +/- 0.7 by the thermodilution technique (p less than 0.001). Thermodilution flow changes were also smaller than Doppler-measured changes during submaximal vasodilation and during prolonged coronary dilation after dipyridamole administration.


CONCLUSIONS
Coronary flow reserve and submaximal flow increases measured with the thermodilution method were consistently and substantially smaller than Doppler-derived measurements. This discrepancy has important implications for the comparison of coronary flow reserve measurements performed with the use of different techniques.
Rossen
J D
JD
Cardiovascular Division, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City.
Oskarsson
H
H
Stenberg
R G
RG
Braun
P
P
Talman
C L
CL
Winniford
M D
MD
D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology; D006328:Cardiac Catheterization; D003326:Coronary Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D004176:Dipyridamole; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007472:Iohexol; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D005996:Nitroglycerin; D010208:Papaverine; D013815:Thermodilution; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000502:physiology
D007472:Iohexol; D004176:Dipyridamole; D010208:Papaverine; D005996:Nitroglycerin