Diagnostic Performance of On-Site Computed Tomography Derived Fractional Flow Reserve on Non-Culprit Coronary Lesions in Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome.

The role of coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) derived fractional flow reserve (CT-FFR) in the assessment of non-culprit lesions (NCL) in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is debated. In this prospective clinical study, a total of 68 ACS patients with 89 moderate (30−70% diameter stenosis) NCLs were enrolled to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of on-site CT-FFR compared to invasive fractional flow reserve (FFRi) and dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) as reference standards. CT-FFR and FFRi values ≤0.80, as well as new or worsening wall motion abnormality in ≥2 contiguous segments on the supplying area of an NCL on DSE, were considered positive for ischemia. Sensitivity, specificity, positive, and negative predictive value of CT-FFR relative to FFRi and DSE were 51%, 89%, 75%, and 74% and 37%, 77%, 42%, and 74%, respectively. CT-FFR value (ß = 0.334, p < 0.001) and CT-FFR drop from proximal to distal measuring point [(CT-FFR drop), ß = −0.289, p = 0.002)] were independent predictors of FFRi value in multivariate linear regression analysis. Based on comparing their receiver operating characteristics area under the curve (AUC) values, CT-FFR value and CT-FFR drop provided better discriminatory power than CCTA-based minimal lumen diameter stenosis to distinguish between an NCL with positive and negative FFRi [0.77 (95% Confidence Intervals, CI: 0.67−0.86) and 0.77 (CI: 0.67−0.86) vs. 0.63 (CI: 0.52−0.73), p = 0.029 and p = 0.043, respectively]. Neither CT-FFR value nor CT-FFR drop was predictive of regional wall motion score index at peak stress (ß = −0.440, p = 0.441 and ß = 0.403, p = 0.494) or was able to confirm ischemia on the territory of an NCL revealed by DSE (AUC = 0.54, CI: 0.43−0.64 and AUC = 0.55, CI: 0.44−0.65, respectively). In conclusion, on-site CT-FFR is superior to conventional CCTA-based anatomical analysis in the assessment of moderate NCLs; however, its diagnostic capacity is not sufficient to make it a gatekeeper to invasive functional evaluation. Moreover, based on its comparison with DSE, CT-FFR might not yield any information on the microvascular dysfunction in the territory of an NCL.

Patients with Moderate Non-Culprit Coronary Lesions of Recent Acute Coronary Syndrome.

Fractional flow reserve (FFR) measurement was compared to dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) instable angina (SA) with stable coronary lesion (s) (SCL (s) ) in a few trials; however, similar comparisons in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) with non-culprit lesion (s) (NCL (s) ) are lacking. Our objectives were to prospectively evaluate the diagnostic performance of FFR with two different cutoff values (< 0.80 and < 0.75) relative to DSE in moderate (30%-70% diameter stenosis) NCLs (ACS group) and to compare these observations with those measured in SCLs (SA group). One hundred seventy-five consecutive patients with SA (n = 86) and ACS (n = 89) with 225 coronary lesions (109 SCLs and 116 NCLs) were enrolled. In contrast to the ACS cohort in SA patients, normal DSE was associated with higher FFR values compared to those with abnormal DSE (P = 0.051 versus P = 0.006). In addition, in the SA group, a significant correlation was observed between DSE (regional wall motion score index at peak stress) and FFR (r = -0.290; P = 0.002), whereas a similar association was absent (r = -0.029; P = 0.760) among ACS patients. In the SA group, decreasing the FFR cutoff value (< 0.80 versus < 0.75) improved the concordance of FFR with DSE (70.6% versus 81.7%) without altering its discriminatory power (area under the curve; 0.68 versus 0.63; P = 0.369), whereas in the ACS group, concordance remained similar (69.0% versus 71.6%) and discriminatory power decreased (0.62 versus 0.51; P = 0.049), respectively. In conclusion, lesion-specific FFR assessment may have different relevance in patients with moderate NCLs than in patients with SCLs.

[Percutaneous coronary intervention without on-site cardiac surgery: the first one thousand patients]. / Percutan coronaria-intervenció kórházon belüli szívsebészet nélkül: az elso ezer beteg.

At the two hospitals, first percutaneous coronary intervention was performed on 1031 patients (700 male and 331 female, average age 59.8 +/- 15.1 years) between July 2000 and June 2002. The indications were: stable effort angina 679 (65.8%), unstable angina and non-ST elevation myocardial infarction 267 (26.0%), ST elevation myocardial infarction 85 (8.2%). Single vessel dilatation was performed on 906 (87.9%), double and triple vessel on 125 (12.1%) pts in 1170 vessels (1145 native, 24 saphenous vein and 1 mammary artery graft) and in 1372 stenoses. During the interventions, 1043 stents were implanted in 797 pts, average 1.3/pt. The intervention was clinically successful in 950 (92.1%) and unsuccessful in 81 (7.9%) pts. In most of cases, the lack of success was a result of ineffective recanalisation. 65 major adverse cardiac events occurred in 35 (3.4%) pts (acute redilatation 20 (1.9%), acute surgery 4 (0.4%), acute myocardial infarction 34 (3.3%) and fatal outcome 7 (0.7%). Fatal outcome occurred in the group of stable angina 1 (0.1%), in the group of unstable angina and non-ST elevation myocardial infarction 4 (1.5%), in the group of ST elevation myocardial infarction 2 (2.4%). Within one year, 228 (22.1%) repeated dilatations were performed because of chronic restenosis. The results suggest that the moderate risk interventions can be performed with satisfactory result and average risk even without in-hospital cardiac surgery. High-risk interventions are still to be performed in institutes without on-site surgery.