A computer model of fractal myocardial perfusion heterogeneity to elucidate mechanisms of changes in critical coronary stenosis and hypotension.
Critical coronary stenosis (critical CS) alone does not lead to an alteration of fractal dimension (D) under resting conditions in a pig model, indicating undisturbed local myocardial perfusion. If critical CS is combined with hypovolemic anemia the resulting hypotension leads to a significant decline of D. The mechanisms involved in this phenomenon have not yet been elucidated. A computer program was developed enabling calculation of D for normal vascular trees, for single vessel coronary stenosis (CS), and for CS in combination with reduced coronary perfusion pressure (CPP). The values of D obtained by the computer program were compared to those available from an existing animal study to confirm that changes of D can largely be explained by changes of arterial branching pattern simulated by the computer program. Using our computer model, D was 1.15+/-0.06 in normal vascular trees. Third branch critical CS did not alter (1.14+/-0.06; n.s.), whereas critical CS combined with a reduction of CPP to 40 mmHg reduced D (1.07+/-0.03; P < 0.05). These data are comparable to those obtained in the animal study, and therefore show that alterations of vessel diameter and regional blood flow can largely explain changes of fractal dimension during critical CS and hypotension while changes of functional myocardial parameters might play a minor role.
Department of Anesthesiology, Intensive Care Medicine and Pain Control, J. W. Goethe University Hospital Center, Theodor Stern Kai 7, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Meier@em.uni-frankfurt.de
Jens
J
Meier
Martin
M
Kleen
Konrad
K
Messmer
D000818:Animals; D003198:Computer Simulation; D023921:Coronary Stenosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000503:physiopathology*; D017709:Fractals; D007022:Hypotension / Q000503:physiopathology; D008955:Models, Cardiovascular; D013552:Swine