The role of intravascular optical coherence tomography in peripheral percutaneous interventions

Frequency domain optical coherence tomography (FD-OCT) is a new intravascular imaging modality utilizing near-infrared light to generate high-quality images. It provides a unique and detailed view of the vessel wall and vessel lumen. FD-OCT has been increasingly used in coronary interventions; however, there is limited experience regarding the use of FD-OCT in the evaluation and treatment of peripheral arterial disease (PAD). We report three cases in which FD-OCT helped elucidate and guide femoral artery interventions and renal artery stenting. With the help of these cases, we depict how FD-OCT is uniquely positioned to be a promising imaging tool in the diagnosis and treatment of peripheral artery disease.