Reliability of densitometry for the assessment of the immediate results after implant of radiolucent coronary artery stents

Coronary artery stents have emerged as the most promising device for coronary interventions. The outcome of coronary stenting depends on postprocedural lumen diameter. The aim of the study was to compare two angiographic methods for the quantitation of minimal luminal diameter (MLD) before and after implant of 126 coronary stents. Before angioplasty, the MLD measured by the two techniques correlated (r=0.706) and the mean difference was -0.47/spl plusmn/0.43 mm). After stent implant, the correlation coefficient increased to 0.782 and the mean difference decreases to -0.21/spl plusmn/0.50 mm. Thus both methods are appropriate to measure MLD in coronary segments, but the correlation is higher when the vascular conduit is remodelled by an endovascular prosthesis.