Turbulent flow as a cause for underestimating coronary flow reserve measured by Doppler guide wire

摘要

BackgroundDoppler-tipped coronary guide-wires (FW) are well-established tools in interventional cardiology to quantitatively analyze coronary blood flow. Doppler wires are used to measure the coronary flow velocity reserve (CFVR). The CFVR remains reduced in some patients despite anatomically successful coronary angioplasty. It was the aim of our study to test the influence of changes in flow profile on the validity of intra-coronary Doppler flow velocity measurements in vitro. It is still unclear whether turbulent flow in coronary arteries is of importance for physiologic studies in vivo.