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Imaging the Coronary Artery Plaque: Approaches, Advances, and Challenges

  • Plaque Imaging (V Dilsizian and T Schindler, Section Editors)
  • Published:
Current Cardiovascular Imaging Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose of Review

Atherosclerosis is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the world, largely due to the disruption of high-risk plaques (HRP). Understanding how best to identify HRP, using imaging, has the potential to improve assessment of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk and facilitate better targeting of care to patients.

Recent Findings

Technological advances have been made across several imaging modalities, which provide opportunities to image HRP. Advances in computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET), intravascular ultrasound (IVUS), optical coherence tomography (OCT), and near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) target multiple features of HRP.

Summary

A growing number of studies have demonstrated their utility in assessing risk and guiding therapeutic interventions. While opportunities exist today to employ HRP imaging, further studies are needed to assess the value of imaging HRP to refine CVD risk and target therapeutics.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cardiology Division, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 165 Cambridge Street, Suite 400, Boston, MA, 02114-2750, USA

    Natasha Mamdani, Farouc A. Jaffer & Ahmed Tawakol

  2. Cardiac MR PET CT Program, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    Brian Tung, Ying Wang & Ahmed Tawakol

  3. Department of Nuclear Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China

    Ying Wang

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  1. Natasha Mamdani
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Correspondence to Ahmed Tawakol.

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Conflict of Interest

Natasha Mamdani, Brian Tung, and Ying Wang have nothing to disclose. Farrouc A. Jaffer-Research Grant: Siemens, Canon; Funding: NIH R01 HL122388; Consultant: Abbott Vascular, Boston Scientific, Siemens. Ahmed Tawakol- Research Grant: Actelion, Genentech; Funding: NIH; Consultant: Actelion, Amgen.

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Mamdani, N., Tung, B., Wang, Y. et al. Imaging the Coronary Artery Plaque: Approaches, Advances, and Challenges. Curr Cardiovasc Imaging Rep 10, 24 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12410-017-9419-z

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