Quantitative Coronary Angiography: Back to the Past

In patients with coronary artery disease, quantitative coronary angiography (QCA) has proved to be a good method for quantification of atherosclerotic plaques since 80’ years. It is used for diagnosis and management in catheterization laboratory of a lot of patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. QCA allows us to assess with dedicated computer software the impact of atherosclerosis on the lumen of the coronary arteries and to establish over time whether an intervention attenuates progression or regression of atherosclerotic disease. Currently, the use of QCA, in catheterization laboratory during percutaneous coronary intervention, is the most used method to investigate precisely the performance of coronary plaque; it, also, allows studying the efficacy of coronary intervention; nevertheless this technique has some limitations and difficulties resulting from the routine use in the evaluation of parameters. This review aims to summarize the principles and the methods used for quantitative coronary angiography with a look on the past and present describing also more recent patents and developments.