Performance of the Angiography Derived FFR (vFFR) in the Evaluation of Coronary Stenoses in Comparison with FFR

Abstract

The coronary angiography is the reference diagnostic test for the evaluation of the severity of coronary stenoses and the correspondent treatment. However, to classify an intermediate stenosis angiographically, additional evaluation must be used to confirm or negate its key features and thus the need for coronary revascularization. Therefore, Fractional Flow Reserve (FFR) was developed in order to evaluate the function of these intermediate stenoses, but still underused nowadays considering its invasive character. Computer software took place for this purpose, such as Cardiovascular Angiographic Analysis Systems (CAAS), which is based on the fluid dynamics study and the angiographic reconstruction to calculate an FFR directly derived from the angiographic image called virtual FFR (vFFR). A monocentric retrospective study done at «Grand Hôpital de l'Est Francilien», Marne-La Vallée site in France, to measure the vFFR of patients who had an invasive evaluation by means of the FFR and to compare the 2 evaluation methods of the coronary stenoses in order to determine the diagnostic performance of the vFFR.To be able to maintain vFFR as a necessary tool in the diagnostic arsenal for non-invasive, immediate evaluation, new large scale, multicenter studies using prognostic analyses and ideally randomization protocols are needed.