Diagnostic Performance of On-Site Coronary CT Angiography-derived Fractional Flow Reserve Based on Patient-specific Lumped Parameter Models.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the diagnostic performance of a prototype on-site coronary CT angiography-derived fractional flow reserve (CT FFR) algorithm, based on patient-specific lumped parameter models, for the detection of functionally significant stenosis defined by invasive FFR, and to compare the performance to anatomic evaluation of stenosis degree.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this retrospective feasibility study, 77 vessels in 57 patients (42 of 57 [74%]) men; mean age, 58.5 years ± 9.2 [standard deviation]) who underwent clinically indicated coronary CT angiography within 60 days prior to an invasive FFR measurement were analyzed. Invasive FFR less than or equal to 0.80 was used to indicate a functionally significant stenosis. Diagnostic performance of CT FFR was evaluated and compared with evaluation of stenosis degree. Analysis was performed on a per-vessel basis.
RESULTS: Invasive FFR revealed functionally significant stenoses in 37 vessels (48%). CT FFR showed a significantly increased ability to indicate functionally significant stenosis (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUC], 0.87) compared with degree of stenosis at coronary CT angiography (AUC, 0.70; ΔAUC 0.17; P < .01). Using a cutoff of less than or equal to 0.80 for CT FFR and greater than or equal to 50% degree of stenosis at coronary CT angiography to indicate a significant stenosis, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy were 33 of 37 (89.2%), 31 of 40 (77.5%), 33 of 42 (78.6%), 31 of 35 (88.6%), and 64 of 77 (83.1%), respectively, for CT FFR, and 33 of 37 (89.2%), 17 of 40 (42.5%), 33 of 56 (58.9%), 17 of 21 (81.0%), and 50 of 77 (64.9%), respectively, for degree of stenosis at coronary CT angiography.
CONCLUSION: Diagnostic performance of on-site CT FFR was superior to stenosis evaluation at coronary CT angiography for identification of functionally significant coronary artery stenosis in patients suspected of having or known to have coronary artery disease.© RSNA, 2019See also commentary by Schoepf et al. 2019 by the Radiological Society of North America, Inc.