Physicians cannot rely solely on the angiographic appearance of epicardial coronary artery stenosis when evaluating patients with myocardial ischemia. Instead, sound knowledge of coronary vascular physiology and of the methods currently available for its characterization can improve the diagnostic and prognostic accuracy of invasive assessment of the coronary circulation, and help improve clinical decision-making. In this article we summarize the current methods available for a thorough assessment of coronary physiology.
Keywords: Coronary flow reserve; Coronary heart disease; Coronary physiology; Endothelial dysfunction; Fractional flow reserve; Index of microcirculatory resistance; Microvascular dysfunction.