In Vivo Characterization of Coronary Atherosclerotic Plaque by Use of Optical Coherence Tomography

BACKGROUND: The current understanding of the pathophysiology of coronary artery disease is based largely on postmortem studies. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a high-resolution ( approximately 10 microm), catheter-based imaging modality capable of investigating detailed coronary plaque morphology in vivo. METHODS AND RESULTS: Patients undergoing cardiac catheterization were enrolled and categorized according to their clinical presentation: recent acute myocardial infarction (AMI), acute coronary syndromes (ACS) constituting non-ST-segment elevation AMI and unstable angina, or stable angina pectoris (SAP). OCT imaging was performed with a 3.2F catheter. Two observers independently analyzed the images…

• MG
  Massachusetts General Hospital