Title:Quantitative Coronary Angiography: Back to the Past
Volume: 4
Issue: 1
Author(s): Andrea Rognoni, Chiara Cavallino, Alessia Veia, Sara Bacchini, Roberta Rosso, Federico Nardi, Francesco Rametta and Angelo S. Bongo
Affiliation:
Keywords:
Angiography, atherosclerotic plaque, coronary angioplasty, coronary disease, coronary stenosis.
Abstract: In patients with coronary artery disease, quantitative coronary angiography (QCA) has proved to be a good
method for quantification of atherosclerotic plaques since 80’ years. It is used for diagnosis and management in
catheterization laboratory of a lot of patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. QCA allows us to assess
with dedicated computer software the impact of atherosclerosis on the lumen of the coronary arteries and to
establish over time whether an intervention attenuates progression or regression of atherosclerotic disease.
Currently, the use of QCA, in catheterization laboratory during percutaneous coronary intervention, is the most
used method to investigate precisely the performance of coronary plaque; it, also, allows studying the efficacy of
coronary intervention; nevertheless this technique has some limitations and difficulties resulting from the routine
use in the evaluation of parameters. This review aims to summarize the principles and the methods used for
quantitative coronary angiography with a look on the past and present describing also more recent patents and
developments.