Intravascular optical coherence tomography: cellular imaging.

The vast majority of acute coronary events are attributed to rupture or erosion of high-risk or vulnerable plaques. Novel imaging techniques are being actively sought that can detect quiescent vulnerable features within coronary plaque and thereby identify populations at risk, monitor plaque progression, and target therapy appropriately. Optical coherence tomography is an intravascular imaging modality capable of detecting and characterizing coronary plaque in vivo.

Plaque erosion in the culprit lesion is prone to develop a smaller myocardial infarction size compared with plaque rupture.

Background: Acute myocardial infarction (MI) stems from a disruption of the plaque in the coronary artery. Based on postmortem examinations, such plaque disruption has been classified as either a rupture or an erosion. Unfortunately, it has been difficult to clinically identify plaque ruptures and plaque erosions during the development of acute MI.

Recent decline in hospital mortality among patients with acute myocardial infarction.

Background: Many patients with acute myocardial infarction will still die after admission. Recent trends in hospital mortality were analyzed to identify aspects that need improvement.

Methods And Results: A total of 1,247 patients admitted to Kinki University School of Medicine within 24 h of the onset of infarction were analyzed between 1975 and 2001.

Focal and multi-focal plaque macrophage distributions in patients with acute and stable presentations of coronary artery disease.

Objectives: This study was designed to utilize optical coherence tomography (OCT) images of coronary atherosclerotic plaque macrophages to investigate the relationship between macrophage distributions and clinical syndrome.

Background: The relative significance of focal macrophage infiltration and generalized coronary inflammation for predicting acute coronary events is a currently a source of considerable controversy in cardiology. Lack of a high-resolution cross-sectional imaging modality has limited macrophage evaluation in vivo.

Quantification of macrophage content in atherosclerotic plaques by optical coherence tomography.

Background: Macrophage degradation of fibrous cap matrix is an important contributor to atherosclerotic plaque instability. An imaging technology capable of identifying macrophages in patients could provide valuable information for assessing plaque vulnerability. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a new intravascular imaging modality that allows cross-sectional imaging of tissue with a resolution of approximately 10 micro m.

Characterization of human atherosclerosis by optical coherence tomography.

Background: High-resolution visualization of atherosclerotic plaque morphology may be essential for identifying coronary plaques that cause acute coronary events. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is an intravascular imaging modality capable of providing cross-sectional images of tissue with a resolution of 10 micro m. To date, OCT imaging has not been investigated in sufficient detail to assess its accuracy for characterizing atherosclerotic plaques.