Open AccessProgress in atherosclerotic plaque imaging
Author(s) -
Giulia Soloperto,
Sergio Casciaro
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
world journal of radiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 1949-8470
DOI - 10.4329/wjr.v4.i8.353
Subject(s) - medicine , magnetic resonance imaging , radiology , limiting , stenosis , stroke (engine) , myocardial infarction , neuroimaging , vulnerable plaque , modalities , intravascular ultrasound , computed tomography , pathology , cardiology , mechanical engineering , social science , psychiatry , sociology , engineering
Cardiovascular diseases are the primary cause of mortality in the industrialized world, and arterial obstruction, triggered by rupture-prone atherosclerotic plaques, lead to myocardial infarction and cerebral stroke. Vulnerable plaques do not necessarily occur with flow-limiting stenosis, thus conventional luminographic assessment of the pathology fails to identify unstable lesions. In this review we discuss the currently available imaging modalities used to investigate morphological features and biological characteristics of the atherosclerotic plaque. The different imaging modalities such as ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography, nuclear imaging and their intravascular applications are illustrated, highlighting their specific diagnostic potential. Clinically available and upcoming methodologies are also reviewed along with the related challenges in their clinical translation, concerning the specific invasiveness, accuracy and cost-effectiveness of these methods.