Quantitative Coronary Angiography and Digital Densitometric Perfusion Measurements?How to Assess the Success of Intracoronary Balloon Dilatation

Densitometric evaluation of digital subtraction angiocardiograms allows the assessment of local myocardial perfusion before and after pharmacological stimulation of coronary flow reserve during the catheterization procedure. This report deals with a case of a severe stenosis of the left coronary artery in which PTCA was regarded successful based on an appropriate increase in luminal diameter while an intima and media dissection at the dilatation site was documented. The perfusion measurements, however, pointed out a clear impairment of poststenotic myocardial perfusion after PTCA.