Impact of coronary calcium score and lesion characteristics on the diagnostic performance of machine-learning-based computed tomography-derived fractional flow reserve.

AIMS To evaluate the impact of coronary artery calcium (CAC) score, minimal lumen area (MLA), and length of coronary artery stenosis on the diagnostic performance of the machine-learning-based computed tomography-derived fractional flow reserve (ML-FFR). METHODS AND RESULTS In 471 patients with coronary artery disease, computed tomography angiography (CTA) and invasive coronary angiography were performed with fractional flow reserve (FFR) in 557 lesions at a single centre. Diagnostic performances of ML-FFR, computational fluid dynamics-based CT-FFR (CFD-FFR), MLA, quantitative coronary angiography (QCA), and visual stenosis grading were evaluated using invasive FFR as a reference standard. Diagnostic performances were analysed according to lesion characteristics including the MLA, length of stenosis, CAC score, and stenosis degree. ML-FFR was obtained by automated feature selection and model building from quantitative CTA. A total of 272 lesions showed significant ischaemia, defined by invasive FFR ≤0.80. There was a significant correlation between CFD-FFR and ML-FFR (r = 0.99, P < 0.001). ML-FFR showed moderate sensitivity and specificity in the per-patient analysis. Diagnostic performances of CFD-FFR and ML-FFR did not decline in patients with high CAC scores (CAC > 400). Sensitivities of CFD-FFR and ML-FFR showed a downward trend along with the increase in lesion length and decrease in MLA. The area under the curve (AUC) of ML-FFR (0.73) was higher than those of QCA and visual grading (AUC = 0.65 for both, P < 0.001) and comparable to those of MLA (AUC = 0.71, P = 0.21) and CFD-FFR (AUC = 0.73, P = 0.86). CONCLUSION ML-FFR showed comparable results to MLA and CFD-FFR for the prediction of lesion-specific ischaemia. Specificities and accuracies of CFD-FFR and ML-FFR decreased with smaller MLA and long lesion length.

[1]  G. Lu,et al.  The effect of coronary calcification on diagnostic performance of machine learning–based CT-FFR: a Chinese multicenter study , 2020, European Radiology.

[2]  Taylor M. Duguay,et al.  Influence of Coronary Calcium on Diagnostic Performance of Machine Learning CT-FFR: Results From MACHINE Registry. , 2020, JACC. Cardiovascular imaging.

[3]  Sean M. O'Brien,et al.  International Study of Comparative Health Effectiveness with Medical and Invasive Approaches (ISCHEMIA) trial: Rationale and design , 2018, American heart journal.

[4]  A. Persson,et al.  Diagnostic Accuracy of a Machine-Learning Approach to Coronary Computed Tomographic Angiography–Based Fractional Flow Reserve: Result From the MACHINE Consortium , 2018, Circulation. Cardiovascular imaging.

[5]  Taylor M. Duguay,et al.  Coronary CT Angiography-derived Fractional Flow Reserve: Machine Learning Algorithm versus Computational Fluid Dynamics Modeling. , 2018, Radiology.

[6]  Piotr J. Slomka,et al.  Integrated prediction of lesion-specific ischaemia from quantitative coronary CT angiography using machine learning: a multicentre study , 2018, European Radiology.

[7]  June-Goo Lee,et al.  Incremental Value of Subtended Myocardial Mass for Identifying FFR-Verified Ischemia Using Quantitative CT Angiography: Comparison With Quantitative Coronary Angiography and CT-FFR. , 2018, JACC. Cardiovascular imaging.

[8]  Taylor M. Duguay,et al.  Coronary CT Angiography-derived Fractional Flow Reserve. , 2017, Radiology.

[9]  Taylor M. Duguay,et al.  Noninvasive Derivation of Fractional Flow Reserve From Coronary Computed Tomographic Angiography: A Review , 2017, Journal of thoracic imaging.

[10]  Jamil Mayet,et al.  Diagnostic Accuracy of Computed Tomography–Derived Fractional Flow Reserve: A Systematic Review , 2017, JAMA cardiology.

[11]  I. Meredith,et al.  Noninvasive CT-Derived FFR Based on Structural and Fluid Analysis: A Comparison With Invasive FFR for Detection of Functionally Significant Stenosis. , 2017, JACC. Cardiovascular imaging.

[12]  Young-Hak Kim,et al.  Diagnostic performance of on-site CT-derived fractional flow reserve versus CT perfusion , 2017, European heart journal cardiovascular Imaging.

[13]  Witold Rużyłło,et al.  Workstation-Based Calculation of CTA-Based FFR for Intermediate Stenosis. , 2016, JACC. Cardiovascular imaging.

[14]  D. Comaniciu,et al.  A machine-learning approach for computation of fractional flow reserve from coronary computed tomography. , 2016, Journal of applied physiology.

[15]  A. Kono,et al.  Fractional flow reserve computed from noninvasive CT angiography data: diagnostic performance of an on-site clinician-operated computational fluid dynamics algorithm. , 2015, Radiology.

[16]  Stefan Baumann,et al.  Comparison of diagnostic value of a novel noninvasive coronary computed tomography angiography method versus standard coronary angiography for assessing fractional flow reserve. , 2014, The American journal of cardiology.

[17]  S. Achenbach,et al.  SCCT guidelines for the interpretation and reporting of coronary CT angiography: a report of the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography Guidelines Committee. , 2014, Journal of cardiovascular computed tomography.

[18]  Hiroshi Ito,et al.  Diagnostic performance of noninvasive fractional flow reserve derived from coronary computed tomography angiography in suspected coronary artery disease: the NXT trial (Analysis of Coronary Blood Flow Using CT Angiography: Next Steps). , 2014, Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

[19]  L. Axel Can FFR be reliably calculated from cardiac computed tomography without consideration of collateral flow? , 2013, Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

[20]  Jeroen J. Bax,et al.  2013 ESC guidelines on the management of stable coronary artery disease: the Task Force on the management of stable coronary artery disease of the European Society of Cardiology. , 2013, European heart journal.

[21]  Hyung-Bok Park,et al.  Noninvasive Fractional Flow Reserve Derived From Computed Tomography Angiography for Coronary Lesions of Intermediate Stenosis Severity: Results From the DeFACTO Study , 2013, Circulation. Cardiovascular imaging.

[22]  Dorin Comaniciu,et al.  A novel coupling algorithm for computing blood flow in viscoelastic arterial models , 2013, 2013 35th Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBC).

[23]  Charles A. Taylor,et al.  Computational fluid dynamics applied to cardiac computed tomography for noninvasive quantification of fractional flow reserve: scientific basis. , 2013, Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

[24]  A. Dunning,et al.  Diagnosis of ischemia-causing coronary stenoses by noninvasive fractional flow reserve computed from coronary computed tomographic angiograms. Results from the prospective multicenter DISCOVER-FLOW (Diagnosis of Ischemia-Causing Stenoses Obtained Via Noninvasive Fractional Flow Reserve) study. , 2011, Journal of the American College of Cardiology.