title: Quantitative coronary angiography in the current era: principles and applications.
abstract: Coronary angiography, despite its inherent invasiveness and need for contrast media and radiographic exposure, is still routinely employed every year for the diagnostic and therapeutic management of millions of patients with or at risk for coronary artery disease. Whereas approximate visual estimation is the most common way to evaluate coronary angiography findings, since the late 1980s a number of investigators have developed and investigated methods of quantitative coronary angiography (QCA) analysis exploiting automated or semi-automated edge detection. Despite the inherent drawback of QCA due to its focus on the contrast-filled lumen of the vessel, QCA has offered and continues to offer important insights for clinical research and, in selected cases, clinical practice. This review aims thus to provide a comprehensive and updated viewpoint on the actual role of QCA.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, University of Turin, San Giovanni Battista Molinette Hospital, Turin, Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Garrone
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Biondi-Zoccai
authors.forename: Ilaria
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Salvetti
authors.forename: Noemi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sina
authors.forename: Imad
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sheiban
authors.forename: Peter R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Stella
authors.forename: Pierfrancesco
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Agostoni
mesh_terms: D017023:Coronary Angiography / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000639:trends; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy; D023921:Coronary Stenosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy; D018450:Disease Progression; D054855:Drug-Eluting Stents; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D020123:Sirolimus / Q000627:therapeutic use; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D020123:Sirolimus