MEASUREMENT OF A CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA OF NORMAL AND STENOTIC ARTERIESWITH VIDEODENSITOMETRIC QUANTITATIVE ARTERIOGRAPHY AND INTRAVASCULAR ULTRASOUND

Rationale and Objectives. A videodensitometric technique that allows m easurement of absolute cross-sectional area of any complex lesion was compared with an intravascular ultrasound (US) technique. Methods. Ste notic devices (10-15 mm long) with cross sections of different shapes were placed in the distal aortas of five anesthetized pigs (weight, 40 -50 kg). The stenotic devices were imaged by using an intravascular US probe after power injection of contrast material. Results. A comparis on of actual areas and measured cross-sectional areas of the stenotic devices showed that videodensitometry and intravascular US produced be tter results than edge-detection techniques for both unsubtracted and temporal subtraction images. Conclusion. These data suggest that the v ideodensitometric technique can be used to measure absolute cross-sect ional areas of arteries with different shapes.