A new digital electronic caliper for measurement of coronary arterial stenosis: Comparison with visual estimates and computer-assisted measurements

Visual analysis of the severity of coronary stenosis is limited by observer variability. However, more complex techniques of proved accuracy are tedious and costly. Therefore, a new digital electronic caliper (DEC) was evaluated as a potentially more accurate, rapid and less costly alternative for measuring stenosis severity. Stenosis minimum diameter (D min) and percent diameter reduction ( %S) were measured from the screen of the cine projector using a DEC. These measurements were compared with visual estimates (VIS) by 4 experienced angiographers and with measurements made by a computer-assisted method (QCA) of proved accuracy. In routine cineangiograms from 7 patients, 10 lesions were significant (>50%S) and 8 were mild (50%) coronary stenoses, and it may be applied with improved accuracy in the evaluation of cineangiograms.