Imaging unstable plaque.
Recent advances in imaging technology have enabled us to utilise a range of diagnostic approaches to better characterise high-risk atherosclerotic plaque. The aim of this article is to review current and emerging techniques used to detect and quantify unstable plaque in the context of large and small arterial systems and will focus on both invasive and non-invasive imaging techniques. While the diagnosis of clinically relevant atherosclerosis still relies heavily on anatomical assessment of arterial luminal stenosis, evolving multimodal cross-sectional imaging techniques that encompass novel molecular probes can provide added information with regard to plaque composition and overall disease burden. Novel molecular probes currently being developed to track precursors of plaque rupture such as inflammation, micro-calcification, hypoxia and neoangiogenesis are likely to have translational applications beyond diagnostics and have the potential to play a part in quantifying early responses to therapeutic interventions and more accurate cardiovascular risk stratification.
Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, England, UK - jhfr2@cam.ac.uk.
Rouchelle S
RS
Sriranjan
Jason M
JM
Tarkin
Nicholas R
NR
Evans
Mohammed M
MM
Chowdhury
James H
JH
Rudd
D000818:Animals; D001158:Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D007249:Inflammation / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D051379:Mice; D015335:Molecular Probes / Q000737:chemistry; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D058226:Plaque, Atherosclerotic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D012306:Risk; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional
D015335:Molecular Probes; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18