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New developments in the detection of vulnerable plaque.
M Naghavi1, M Madjid, M R Khan
1Vulnerable Plaque Research Program, Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas-Houston Health Science Center and Texas Heart Institute, 6431 Fannin, MSB #1.246, Houston, TX 77030, USA. mnaghavi@VulnerablePlaque.org
Current Atherosclerosis Reports
|March 20, 2001
Summary
Traditional coronary angiography is limited in predicting acute coronary syndromes. New invasive and noninvasive imaging techniques are being developed to identify vulnerable plaques causing these events.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Imaging
- Medical Diagnostics
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Coronary angiography, the historical gold standard, has limitations in predicting acute coronary syndromes (ACS).
- A majority of ACS events are caused by lesions not detectable by standard angiography.
- This necessitates the development of advanced diagnostic methods for plaque characterization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review current global research on novel invasive and noninvasive imaging techniques for ACS.
- To explore the potential of these methods in identifying vulnerable plaques.
- To assess the promise of combining different imaging modalities.
Main Methods:
- Review of ongoing worldwide research on invasive imaging techniques (e.g., angioscopy, OCT, NIRS, MRI, elastography).
- Review of ongoing worldwide research on noninvasive imaging techniques (e.g., MRI, CT, PET).
- Discussion of potential combinations of these advanced techniques.
Main Results:
- Numerous invasive and noninvasive techniques show promise for characterizing plaques.
- These advanced methods aim to detect 'angiographically invisible' or 'nonsignificant' lesions.
- Combinations of techniques may offer enhanced diagnostic capabilities.
Conclusions:
- New imaging modalities are crucial for overcoming the limitations of coronary angiography.
- These techniques hold significant promise for identifying vulnerable plaques responsible for ACS.
- Further research and potential combination strategies are key to improving ACS prediction and management.