QUANTITATIVE CORONARY ARTERIOGRAPHY - CURRENT STATUS AND FUTURE

Quantitative coronary arteriography (QCA) has been accepted as a means for the objective assessment of vessel sizing. Gradient held transfor m (GFT) is now available as a third generation QCA approach for the qu antification of complex morphology. In the meantime the DICOM-3 (DICOM : Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine) standard has been ac cepted for the exchange of digital data acquired in a catheterization laboratory. Issues to be resolved in digital imaging include the basic question of whet-her the commonly used matrix size of 512 x 512 pixel s and 8 bits of density resolution is really sufficient to appreciate the same fine details as are visible on cinefilm. Other major issues o f differences between the conventional cinefilm and the modern digital approach are edge enhancement and image compression. We believe that digital imaging and the DICOM-3 standard are here to stay; although th e transition period may take longer and be hampered in practice by mor e hurdles than were orginally anticipated, in a few years' time, 35-mm him will be an exception.