[Functional angiocardiography]

Recent development of powerful image processing systems provides computation of angiocardiographic image series. Thus, acquisition and display of specific cardiac and circulatory parameters has become feasible. The simplest processing mode utilizes repetitive image subtraction, for example for the documentation of left ventricular wall motion abnormalities. A qualitative aspect of organ perfusion (myocardium, lungs) is obtained by color coding of serial DSA-images. Quantitative studies of vascular perfusion, however, require complex parameter extraction techniques according to the theory of indicator dilution. Great advancements have been achieved for arterial flow distribution measurements to study peripheral vascular disease. The actual interest in cardiology concerns measurements of coronary flow reserve that are based either on perfusion time or contrast mass measurements. However, limitations in quantitative flow studies must be considered in relation to the physico-chemical effects of contrast media.