Determining the Significance of Coronary Plaque Lesions: Physiological Stenosis Severity and Plaque Characteristics

Authors

John-Ross D. Clarke, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale-New Haven Health/Bridgeport Hospital, Bridgeport, CT 06610, USA.Follow
Freddy Duarte Lau, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale-New Haven Health/Bridgeport Hospital, Bridgeport, CT 06610, USA.
Stuart W. Zarich, The Heart and Vascular Institute, Yale-New Haven Health/Bridgeport Hospital, Bridgeport, CT 06610, USA.

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Journal of clinical medicine

Abstract

The evaluation of coronary lesions has evolved in recent years. Physiologic-guided revascularization (particularly with pressure-derived fractional flow reserve (FFR)) has led to superior outcomes compared to traditional angiographic assessment. A greater importance, therefore, has been placed on the functional significance of an epicardial lesion. Despite the improvements in the limitations of angiography, insights into the relationship between hemodynamic significance and plaque morphology at the lesion level has shown that determining the implications of epicardial lesions is rather complex. Investigators have sought greater understanding by correlating ischemia quantified by FFR with plaque characteristics determined on invasive and non-invasive modalities. We review the background of the use of these diagnostic tools in coronary artery disease and discuss the implications of analyzing physiological stenosis severity and plaque characteristics concurrently.

DOI

10.3390/jcm9030665

Publication Date

3-2-2020

Recommended Citation

Clarke, John-Ross D.; Duarte Lau, Freddy; and Zarich, Stuart W., "Determining the Significance of Coronary Plaque Lesions: Physiological Stenosis Severity and Plaque Characteristics" (2020). Cardiology. 10.
https://scholar.bridgeporthospital.org/cardiology/10

Identifier

32131474 (pubmed); PMC7141262 (pmc); 10.3390/jcm9030665 (doi); jcm9030665 (pii)