title: Clinical indications for intravascular ultrasound imaging.
abstract: Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) is a catheter-based imaging modality, which provides high resolution cross-sectional images of the coronary arteries. Unlike angiography, which displays only the opacified luminal silhouette, IVUS permits imaging of both the lumen and vessel wall and allows characterization of the type of the plaque. Although IVUS provides accurate quantitative and qualitative information regarding the lumen and outer vessel wall, it is not routinely used during coronary angiography or in angioplasty procedures because the risk to benefit ratio (additional expense, procedural time, certain degree of risk, and complication versus improvement in the outcome) does not justify routine utilization. Nevertheless, there are situations where IVUS is extremely useful tool both for diagnosis and management so the aim of this review is to summarize the indications for IVUS imaging in the contemporary clinical practice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Castle Hill Hospital, East Yorkshire NHS Trust, Cottingham, Kingston upon Hull, UK. cbourantas@gmail.com
authors.forename: Christos V
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: Bourantas
authors.forename: Katerina K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Naka
authors.forename: Scot
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Garg
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Thackray
authors.forename: Dimitris
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Papadopoulos
authors.forename: Farqad M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Alamgir
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hoye
authors.forename: Lampros K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Michalis
mesh_terms: D006328:Cardiac Catheterization / Q000379:methods*; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D057510:Endovascular Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D014463:Ultrasonography