The clinical utility of hybrid imaging for the identification of vulnerable plaque and vulnerable patients

Imaging the vulnerable plaque.

Cardiovascular diseases are still the primary causes of mortality in the United States and in Western Europe. Arterial thrombosis is triggered by a ruptured atherosclerotic plaque and precipitates an acute vascular event, which is responsible for the high mortality rate. These rupture-prone plaques are called "vulnerable plaques." During the past decades, much effort has been put toward accurat...

Multitarget Vulnerable Plaque Imaging.

The search for the vulnerable plaque has been a prolonged, circuitous journey that despite considerable investment and resource expenditure has hitherto failed to alter clinical practice. The rationale remains enticing. We have known for some time that plaques at risk of rupture and precipitating myocardial infarction and stroke have certain characteristics that extend beyond simple stenosis se...

Imaging of the vulnerable plaque: new modalities.

Atherosclerosis is currently considered to be an inflammatory and thus a systemic disease affecting multiple arterial beds. Recent advances in intravascular imaging have shown multiple sites of atherosclerotic changes in coronary arterial wall. Traditionally, angiography has been used to detect and characterize atherosclerotic plaque in coronary arteries, but recently it has been found that pla...

Imaging of the Vulnerable Atherosclerotic Plaque

Clinical imaging of the high-risk or vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque.

The study of atherosclerotic disease during its natural history and after therapeutic intervention will enhance our understanding of disease progression and regression and aid in selecting appropriate treatments. Several invasive and noninvasive imaging techniques are available to assess atherosclerotic vessels. Most of the standard techniques identify luminal diameter, stenosis, wall thickness...