Predictors of ostial side branch damage during provisional stenting of coronary bifurcation lesions not involving the side branch origin: an ultrasonographic study.

AIMS: To analyse the ultrasound anatomy of bifurcation lesions {1,1,0},{0,1,0} and {1,0,0} of the Medina classification in order to identify predictors of angiographic side branch (SB) damage after main branch (MB) stenting.

METHODS AND

RESULTS

One hundred and ten patients with Medina classification bifurcation lesions of {1,1,0},{0,1,0} and {1,0,0} were recruited. An intravascular ultrasound study (IVUS) was performed on the MB before treatment, after stent implantation and after SB intervention. A quantitative analysis was conducted in combination with a qualitative study of the carina morphology and plaque distribution. Ostial SB damage (an increase of the percentage of ostial stenosis by QCA ≥30%) was observed in 51 lesions (48%) after MB stenting. The baseline IVUS identified a carina with a spiky morphology ("eyebrow" sign) in 51 bifurcations. In 41 out of 51 bifurcations with this sign, ostial SB damage was induced after stenting the MB due to carina shift (p<0.01). Narrower angiographic angles were associated with the presence of the "eyebrow" sign (62º±23º vs. 76º±24º, p<0.05). Plaque located at the carina was associated with a lower rate of ostial SB damage (29%) when compared with those lesions with no plaque exhibiting at the carina (51%), p<0.05.

CONCLUSIONS

The "eyebrow" sign is a powerful predictor of ostial SB damage after stent implantation in the MB in bifurcation coronary lesions without plaque involving the SB.