Jesper Møller Jensen

Interpreting results of coronary computed tomography angiography-derived fractional flow reserve in clinical practice

Research output: Contribution to journal/Conference contribution in journal/Contribution to newspaperReviewResearchpeer-review

  • Mark G Rabbat, Loyola University Chicago
  • ,
  • Daniel S Berman, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
  • ,
  • Morton Kern, University of California at Irvine
  • ,
  • Gilbert Raff, Beaumont Health, Department of Cardiology, USA.
  • ,
  • Kavitha Chinnaiyan, Beaumont Health, Department of Cardiology, USA.
  • ,
  • Lynne Koweek, Duke University
  • ,
  • Leslee J Shaw, Emory University
  • ,
  • Philipp Blanke, University of British Columbia
  • ,
  • Markus Scherer, Sanger Heart and Vascular Institute, Department of Cardiology, USA.
  • ,
  • Jesper M Jensen
  • John Lesser, Minneapolis Heart Institute, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
  • ,
  • Bjarne L Nørgaard
  • ,
  • Gianluca Pontone, Cardiologico Monzino, Department of Cardiovascular Imaging, Milan, Italy.
  • ,
  • Bernard De Bruyne, OLV Ziekenhuis Aalst, Cardiovascular Center Aalst, Belgium.
  • ,
  • Jeroen J Bax, Leiden University
  • ,
  • Jonathon Leipsic, University of British Columbia

The application of computational fluid dynamics to coronary computed tomography angiography allows Fractional Flow Reserve (FFR) to be calculated non-invasively (FFRCT), enabling computation of FFR from coronary computed tomography angiography acquired at rest both for individual lesions as well as along the entire course of a coronary artery. FFRCT, validated in a number of accuracy studies and a large clinical utility trial, is beginning to penetrate clinical practice. Importantly, while accuracy trials compared FFRCT to invasively measured FFR at a single point in the coronary tree, clinical reports of FFRCT provide information regarding a patient's entire coronary vasculature. Specifically, in distal coronary segments, calculated FFRCT values may be low and below 0.80 even in the absence of localized stenoses within the course of the artery. As a result, the reporting physician needs to understand how to interpret the findings in a clinically useful and thoughtful fashion. This review provides a brief overview of the background of both invasively measured and computationally derived FFR, explains changes in FFR along the course of normal coronary arteries and those affected by coronary atherosclerosis, and outlines the relevance of measurement location when interpreting and reporting FFR and FFRCT results.

Original languageEnglish
JournalJournal of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography
Volume11
Issue5
Pages (from-to)383-388
Number of pages6
ISSN1934-5925
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Sept 2017

    Research areas

  • Journal Article, Review

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