Catheter-based functional metrics of the coronary circulation.
In patients with stable chest pain, decision making about treatment strategy should be based on anatomical and functional information on the coronary circulation. Traditionally, the functional data are obtained by non-invasive testing which aims at detecting and localizing 'myocardial ischemia.' Yet, the diagnostic accuracy of diagnostic testing is over-rated in the literature, so that in clinical practice, a sizable proportion of patients undergo a coronary angiogram without prior useful functional information. Therefore, several methods have been developed to obtain similar information in the catheterization laboratory. Here we review briefly some of these methods. Some of them are used routinely in clinical practice, and others are under development.
Cardiovascular Center Aalst, OLV-Clinic, Moorselbaan 164, 9300, Aalst, Belgium.
Panagiotis
P
Xaplanteris
Cardiovascular Center Aalst, OLV-Clinic, Moorselbaan 164, 9300, Aalst, Belgium.
Emanuele
E
Barbato
Cardiovascular Center Aalst, OLV-Clinic, Moorselbaan 164, 9300, Aalst, Belgium. Bernard.de.bruyne@olvz-aalst.be.
Bernard
B
De Bruyne
D006328:Cardiac Catheterization; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003326:Coronary Circulation; D053805:Fractional Flow Reserve, Myocardial; D006801:Humans; D013815:Thermodilution; D014655:Vascular Resistance
Coronary angiogram; coronary artery disease; coronary flow reserve; fractional flow reserve; index of microvascular resistance; ischemic testing; microcirculation