Intermediate
Technical
In the Industry Vocabulary Test
culprit lesion
The coronary artery stenosis or plaque rupture responsible for an acute coronary syndrome.
Full Definition
A culprit lesion is the specific atherosclerotic plaque or coronary stenosis that has caused an acute coronary syndrome through rupture, erosion, or critical narrowing. Identification of the culprit lesion guides primary percutaneous coronary intervention in STEMI patients and helps determine the target vessel for revascularization. The culprit lesion may not always be the most severe stenosis visible on angiography, as acute events often result from rupture of less severe but unstable plaques.
Usage
Usage note: Do not hyphenate when used as a noun phrase.
In Context
- "The culprit lesion in the mid-RCA showed acute thrombus formation with TIMI 0 flow." — Catheterization report
- "Identifying the culprit lesion can be challenging in patients with multivessel disease and non-ST elevation ACS." — Clinical guidelines
Also known as
culprit vessel
infarct-related artery
Contrasted with
bystander lesion
Don't confuse with
target lesion
significant stenosis