Non-invasive assessment of coronary artery disease in patients with left bundle branch block

Abstract

There is a high prevalence of coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients with left bundle branch block (LBBB); however there are many other causes for this electrocardiographic abnormality. Non-invasive assessment of these patients remains difficult, and all commonly used modalities exhibit several drawbacks. This often leads to these patients undergoing invasive coronary angiography which may not have been necessary. In this review, we examine the uses and limitations of commonly performed non-invasive tests for diagnosis of CAD in patients with LBBB.

Keywords: Cardiovascular imaging; Cardiovascular magnetic resonance; Coronary artery disease; Left bundle branch block; Nuclear imaging; Stress echocardiography.