Fractional flow reserve derived from coronary CT angiography in stable coronary disease: a new standard in non-invasive testing?

Abstract

Fractional flow reserve (FFR) measured during invasive coronary angiography is the gold standard for lesion-specific decisions on coronary revascularization in patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD). Current guidelines recommend non-invasive functional or anatomic testing as a gatekeeper to the catheterization laboratory. However, the "holy grail" in non-invasive testing of CAD is to establish a single test that quantifies both coronary lesion severity and the associated ischemia. Most evidence to date of such a test is based on the addition of computational analysis of FFR to the anatomic information obtained from standard-acquired coronary CTA data sets at rest (FFRCT). This review summarizes the clinical evidence for the use of FFRCT in stable CAD in context to the diagnostic performance of other non-invasive testing modalities. Key Points • The process of selecting appropriate patients for invasive coronary angiography is inadequate • Invasive fractional flow reserve is the standard for assessing coronary lesion-specific ischemia • Fractional flow reserve may be derived from standard coronary CT angiography (FFR CT ) • FFR CT provides high diagnostic performance in stable coronary artery disease.