CLINICAL, ANGIOGRAPHIC AND FUNCTIONAL PARAMETERS DETERMINING DECISION TO PERFORM REVASCULARIZATION IN STABLE CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE PATIENTS WITH INTERMEDIATE CORONARY LESIONS

Abstract

The aim: to study the clinical, angiographic and functional parameters, and their relation to the decision on percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in stable coronary artery disease (CAD) patients with intermediate coronary stenoses (ІСS) at patient and lesion levels. Materials and methods. The cross-sectional study enrolled 123 patients (62±9 years; 73,2 % males) with stable CAD and angiographically ICS (50-90 %). Stable angina CCS class II (CCSII) was diagnosed in 70 (56,9 %) patients, class III (CCSIII) – 29 (23,6 %); 24 (19,5 %) patients were free from angina (Afree). Fractional flow reserve (FFR) was assessed in 74 (60,2 %) patients (min per patient). The hemodynamically significant lesion was considered if FFR ≤0,80 a.u. The decision to perform PCI was undertaken in 93 (76 %) patients. In addition, the functional data from 128 lesions were analyzed. Results. The CCSIII group was characterized by less frequent previous PCI (21 % vs. 46 % in the pooled group [CCSII + Afree]; р=0,018); the predominance of cases with (max) severe [70-90 %] coronary stenosis (96 % vs. 78 % in CCSII and 54 % in Afree; ptrend<0,001); the lower (min) FFR ([median, quartiles] 0,70 (0,64-0,74) vs. 0,87 (0,81-0,90) in Afree; p˂0,002); and the decision to perform PCI in the vast majority of cases (93 % vs. 79 % in CCSII and 46 % in Afree; ptrend<0,001). The Afree/CCSII/CCSIII groups demonstrated a trend towards a decrease in frequency of cases with (max) [60-69 %] stenosis (38 %, 13 % and none, respectively; ptrend<0,001), and a tendency towards the cases with (max) [80-90 %] stenosis to be more prevalent (29 %, 39 % and 55 %, respectively; ptrend=0,051). The frequency of cases with (max) stenosis [70-79 %] was comparable in the studied groups (Afree/CCSII/CCSIII: 25 %/39 %/41 %, respectively [ptrend=0,240]). At lesion-level, all [80-90 %] lesions (n=28) appeared to be hemodynamically significant. In turn, the [60-69 %] lesions (n=24) included 5 (21 %) significant ones. Finally, the [70-79 %] lesions (n=44) included 28 (64 %) significant and 16 (36 %) non-significant ones. Conclusions. Among the stable CAD patients with angiographically ICS, those with CCSIII were characterized by less frequent previous PCI, significant decrease in FFR and the decision to perform index PCI in the vast majority of cases. There is a need for more precise diagnosis and assessment of myocardial ischemia in patients with an intermediate pre-test obstructive CAD probability, including the cases of previously performed PCI.