Coronary Atherosclerosis Phenotypes in Non-Flow-Limiting Nonculprit Lesions of Older Patients With MI Stratified by Focal and Diffuse Disease Patterns

Longitudinal pullback measurement with fractional flow reserve not only identifies flow-limiting lesions but also allows for the characterization of the atherosclerotic pattern (focal versus diffuse disease).1 This distinction may have important clinical implications, as previous studies have shown that focal pressure gradients are often associated with plaques that have characteristics of vulnerability.