title: Fractional flow reserve in patients with prior myocardial infarction.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Fractional flow reserve (FFR), an index of coronary stenosis severity, can be calculated from the ratio of hyperemic distal to proximal coronary pressure. An FFR value of 0.75 can distinguish patients with normal and abnormal noninvasive stress testing in case of normal left ventricular function. The present study aimed at investigating the value of FFR in patients with a prior myocardial infarction. Methods and Results-- In 57 patients who had sustained a myocardial infarction >/=6 days earlier, myocardial perfusion single photon emission scintigraphy (SPECT) imaging and FFR were obtained before and after angioplasty. The sensitivity and specificity of the 0.75 value of FFR to detect flow maldistribution at SPECT imaging were 82% and 87%. The concordance between the FFR and SPECT imaging was 85% (P<0.001). When only truly positive and truly negative SPECT imaging were considered, the corresponding values were 87%, 100%, and 94% (P<0.001). Patients with positive SPECT imaging before angioplasty had a significantly lower FFR than patients with negative SPECT imaging (0.52+/-0.18 versus 0.67+/-0.16, P=0.0079) but a significantly higher left ventricular ejection fraction (63+/-10% versus 52+/-10%, P=0.0009) despite a similar degree of diameter stenosis (67+/-13% versus 68+/-16%, P=NS). A significant inverse correlation was found between LVEF and FFR (R=0.29, P=0.049).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present data indicate (1) that the 0.75 cutoff value of FFR to distinguish patients with positive from patients with negative SPECT imaging is valid after a myocardial infarction and (2) that for a similar degree of stenosis, the value of FFR depends on the mass of viable myocardium.
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Center, Aalst, Belgium, and the Catharina Hospital, Eindhoven, Netherlands. bernard.de.bruyne@olvz-aalst.be
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: De Bruyne
authors.forename: N H
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Pijls
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bartunek
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kulecki
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Bech
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: De Winter
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Van Crombrugge
authors.forename: G R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Heyndrickx
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wijns
mesh_terms: D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D001794:Blood Pressure; D003326:Coronary Circulation / Q000502:physiology; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left