Intravascular ultrasound findings in patients with abnormal coronary flow reserve after stenting

A coronary flow reserve (CFR) of 2.0 has been advocated as the endpoint for coronary intervention therapy. Experience shows, however, that CFR does in deed exceed 2.0 in many cases poststenting, while remaining below 2.0 in ot hers. In this study, we assessed the clinical characteristics and IVUS find ings of patients whose CFR remained below 2.0 after stent implantation, spe cifically 16 patients with CFR below 2.0 (22 lesions, 64 +/- 9 years, 4 fem ale), and 102 patients with CFR above 2.0 (112 lesions, mean age 66 +/- 11 years, 22 female). Patient population comprised patients selected for retro spective study, but participants were selected on the basis of matching pat ient and lesion characteristics. The IVUS findings showed that incidence of calcified lesions and post-PTCA dissection of hard plaque were higher amon g patients with CFR < 2.0. Further, IVUS-obtained vascular measurements sho wed post-PTCA area stenosis to be 58.7 <plus/minus> 15.2% in the CFR < 2.0 group, and 45.3 <plus/minus> 12.5% among CFR greater than or equal to 2.0 p atients (P < 0.05). These findings indicate that patients with diffuse calc ified lesions or high post-PTCA % area stenosis, as determined by IVUS, are more likely to have lower CFR after stenting. <(c)> 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.