Coronary microvasculature: Small vessels with large impact

摘要

Hemodynamic measurements in vivo during heart catheterization are increasingly used to drive clinical decision making in the cardiac catheterization laboratory.1 Coronary flow velocity reserve (CFVR), also referred to as coronary flow reserve, was introduced in the 1970s and was one of the first hemodynamic measurements which could be applied clinically to help evaluate these lesions.2 Moreover, the development of Doppler-tipped guide wires allowed CFVR measurements to be readily obtained. CFVR is defined as the ratio of steady-state hyperemic average peak velocity to resting average peak velocity for the artery of interest (target vessel).