What Is Hidden Behind Yellow Pixels: from Pathology to Intravascular Imaging of Atherosclerotic Plaque

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Imaging
• Atherosclerosis Research
• Medical Technology Evaluation

Background:

• Lipids play a critical role in atherosclerotic plaque progression and vulnerability.
• Increased plaque vulnerability, independent of plaque burden, signifies atherosclerosis advancement.
• Lipidic tissue assessment is vital for patient risk stratification and targeted therapies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review plaque pathology, lipid-lowering therapies, and intravascular imaging modalities.
• To evaluate the correlation between iMAP-IVUS and NIRS in diagnosing vulnerable coronary plaques.
• To clarify the comparability of different intracoronary imaging methods.

Main Methods:

• Review of current literature on atherosclerotic plaque pathology and lipid-lowering therapies.
• Utilization of intravascular ultrasound iMAP system (iMAP-IVUS) for imaging.
• Application of near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) for imaging.
• Comparative analysis of iMAP-IVUS and NIRS in identifying vulnerable plaques.

Main Results:

• Lipids are essential in plaque evolution and vulnerability.
• Vulnerable plaque parameters can be visualized by both iMAP-IVUS and NIRS.
• Intravascular imaging systems exhibit varying sensitivities, specificities, and limitations.

Conclusions:

• Lipid-lowering therapy is crucial for plaque stabilization.
• Intravascular imaging systems offer valuable insights into vulnerable plaque characteristics.
• Further research is needed to establish definitive comparability between iMAP-IVUS and NIRS.