Measurement of a cross-sectional area of normal and stenotic arteries with videodensitometric quantitative arteriography and intravascular ultrasound.

RATIONALE AND

OBJECTIVES

A videodensitometric technique that allows measurement of absolute cross-sectional area of any complex lesion was compared with an intravascular ultrasound (US) technique.

METHODS

Stenotic devices (10-15 mm long) with cross sections of different shapes were placed in the distal aortas of five anesthetized pigs (weight, 40-50 kg). The stenotic devices were imaged by using an intravascular US probe after power injection of contrast material.

RESULTS

A comparison of actual areas and measured cross-sectional areas of the stenotic devices showed that videodensitometry and intravascular US produced better results than edge-detection techniques for both unsubtracted and temporal subtraction images.

CONCLUSION

These data suggest that the videodensitometric technique can be used to measure absolute cross-sectional areas of arteries with different shapes.