CAAS QCA The applications and benefits of quantitative coronary angiography

Coronary angiography is routinely used for diagnosis and treatment of millions of patients who have or are at risk of coronary artery disease. In clinical practice visual estimation (eye-balling) is a common way of evaluating coronary angiograms. Visual estimation has however several limitations, e.g. high variability associated with operator experience and only general estimation of the vessel dimensions. Quantitative Coronary Analysis (QCA) being highly accurate and reproducible can refine the visual estimate and provide several important measurements of the coronary anatomy. The use of QCA...

quantitative measures of the residual diameter [2] stenosis after stent implantation . Research setting In a research setting QCA is used after completing coronary angiography or intervention, to evaluate the effectiveness of treatments, such as balloon or stent placement or drug treatment. For studies on coronary devices, QCA is performed on images acquired before treatment, immediately after treatment and at followup. Dedicated core laboratories usually perform the analysis to obtain independent analysis. The most important parameters in research, calculated using QCA, are: • Acute luminal...

and interventional cardiology. Therefore we can conclude QCA continuous to offer important insights for clinical research and clinical practice. To overcome the limitations of 2D single vessel QCA, QCA is continuously improved and expanded with new analysis options like 2D bifurcation QCA, 3D single vessel and 3D bifurcation QCA. Analysis of Total Occlusions (100% stenosis) Total occlusions can be analyzed. In research studies this is a great benefit because now also for these cases pre- and post data can be compared and these patients can be included. In clinical practice the length of the total...

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