Ultrasound imaging versus morphopathology in cardiovascular diseases. Coronary atherosclerotic plaque

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Research
• Medical Imaging
• Pathology

Background:

• Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a leading cause of mortality worldwide.
• Atherosclerotic plaques in coronary arteries are the primary pathology in CAD.
• Accurate assessment of plaque characteristics is crucial for patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare findings from histopathological analysis and clinical imaging of coronary atherosclerotic plaques.
• To critically evaluate the discrepancies between histopathological and imaging techniques.
• To elucidate how these discrepancies affect the understanding of CAD pathophysiology.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature comparing histopathological and clinical imaging studies of coronary plaques.
• Analysis of studies assessing plaque composition, morphology, and vulnerability.
• Discussion of imaging modalities such as intravascular ultrasound, optical coherence tomography, and CT angiography.

Main Results:

• Histopathology offers detailed, "ground truth" plaque information but is invasive and limited to autopsy or surgical specimens.
• Clinical imaging techniques provide in vivo, non-invasive assessment but may lack the resolution and specificity of histopathology.
• Significant gaps exist in correlating imaging findings with definitive histopathological features, impacting plaque characterization.

Conclusions:

• Bridging the gap between histopathology and clinical imaging is essential for advancing CAD understanding.
• Improved correlation can lead to more accurate in vivo plaque assessment and risk stratification.
• Further research is needed to refine imaging techniques and their interpretation in the context of CAD.